‘It’ll be really good for his career. So I’m happy for him.’
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Timothy Liljegren’s former teammates with the Maple Leafs will retain their membership in his fan club.
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A trade can be part of National Hockey League business, every player understands, but there was some sadness when news of the Liljegren move to the San Jose Sharks came down early on Wednesday night.
“I’m going to miss him a lot, but that’s the way it goes,” Leafs winger William Nylander said on Thursday morning before Toronto’s optional morning skate at Scotiabank Arena. “It’ll be great for him there to get ice time and play. That’s what everybody wants in the end.
“It’ll be really good for his career. So I’m happy for him.”
Will dinner be on Nylander, who spoke to Liljegren after the trade was announced, when the Sharks visit the Leafs in March?
“On him,” Nylander said with a smile.
Morgan Rielly had a thought similar to Nylander — that the 25-year-old Liljegren will take advantage of his chance with San Jose.
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“It didn’t work out exactly the way that he wanted to this year, I suppose, but you wish him the best,” Rielly said, hours before puck drop between the Leafs and the visiting Seattle Kraken. “He’s a good player. He has a good work ethic. I think he’ll find his way.”
Rielly recently played in his 800th NHL game and, like Liljegren, was a first-round pick by Toronto. Rielly developed the way the organization hoped after he was chosen fifth in 2012. Liljegren, picked 17th overall in 2017, did not. The same could be said about defenceman Rasmus Sandin, who was taken in the first round in 2018 and was traded to Washington in 2023, never having met expectations in Toronto.
“It’s challenging,” Rielly said of the task that comes in a young defenceman’s quest to find a role in the NHL.
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“I think it’s different for everyone. It takes time. And it’s not easy.
“This kind of thing happens all the time. Just because a player gets traded, that doesn’t mean he’s any less of a player than he was a year before.
“Moving forward, it’s just a new opportunity and a change of scenery. That’s not a judgment on who Timmy is or anything like that. He’s going to be fine.”
Liljegren played in just one game for the Leafs in 2024-25. In return from the Sharks, the Leafs received defenceman Matt Benning, a conditional third-round pick in 2025 and a sixth-round pick in 2026.
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In camp, Liljegren lost his job to Conor Timmins. With Jani Hakanpaa close to being activated from long-term injured reserve and making his Leafs debut after recovering from a knee injury, the Liljegren trade made sense financially and also where it concerned the Leafs roster.
Liljegren never got a real look under new coach Craig Berube, playing only on Oct. 16 against Los Angeles.
“Looking back at training camp, I think guys just outplayed him a little bit,” Berube said. “He’s got ability, can skate and move the puck. I wish him all the best. It just didn’t work out here. That’s the best way I can put it.”
During a Zoom call with media on Thursday, Liljegren said he was making dinner when Leafs general manager Brad Treliving called to tell him he was traded.
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“Things didn’t work out the way I wanted in Toronto this year, didn’t play much,” Liljegren said. “We had a lot of competition, a lot of good D. I didn’t really play my best hockey either (in camp). I wasn’t happy with how I was playing, so I’m happy to be here and get some confidence back.
“Been healthy all year. Just didn’t get picked for games. It was a little tough, but it’s in the past now and I’m looking forward to being a Shark.”
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Berube said Benning was scheduled to arrive in Toronto later on Thursday.
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“We’ll chat with him and see where he’s at and then we’ll figure it out,” Berube said. “He’s been in league for a while. Stay-at-home defenceman, steady, blocks a lot of shots, things like that.”
There’s the possibility that the Leafs will place Benning on waivers with the intent of sending him to the Toronto Marlies.
Once he is cleared, Hakanpaa could get a game or two with the Marlies on a conditioning stint, and there’s forward Connor Dewar to consider as well. Dewar is due to come off LTIR as well after recovering from shoulder surgery.
The Leafs have the maximum 23 players on their roster, so two will have to be waived once Hakanpaa and Dewar return, as long as there are no further injuries.
X: @koshtorontosun
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