Craig Berube Reveals When Timothy Liljegren May Return to the Leafs' Lineup
The 2024-25 season has not gone the way that Timothy Liljegren expected with 3 healthy scratches, however Craig Berube hints at a return to play in short order.
Although Liljegren was extended to a two-year extension this summer, that didn't stop the Toronto Maple Leafs from perusing the trade market. In fact, trade talks were heating up ahead of the draft and into free agency but materialized.
Heading into training camp, Liljegren knew it was going to be tough sledding with all the new acquisitions the Maple Leafs completed to bolster the back end. Not only would he have to contend with the likes of Morgan Rielly, Jake McCabe, Simon Benoit, and Conor Timmins but then they added Chris Tanev, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, and Jani Hakanpaa to the mix.
Near the end of camp and leading right into the season opener, Liljegren found himself on the outside looking in as he was seen practicing with the fourth or fifth pair, which was usually an indicator that he would be a healthy scratch. 3 games into the new campaign and he's yet to see the ice but Craig Berube think there's light at the end of tunnel:
It's interesting to note that while he hasn't formally requested a trade out of Toronto, it is widely believed that both sides are working on finding greener pastures. Nevertheless, for the time being, he remains a member of the Maple Leafs and getting him ice-time should be a priority to not only help with his trade value but to get his game going to help the team as well
The former first round pick still has a lot to offer but he's yet to take that much needed step to propel himself as a top-4 defenseman. Perhaps his style doesn't mesh all too well with Berube's system but it sounds like the latter is thinking about giving him some run this week when the Maple Leafs host the Los Angeles Kings.
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