Western Conference Team Emerges as Top Trade Candidate for Timothy Liljegren
With Sean Durzi expected to be out indefinitely, the Utah Hockey Club desperately needs a defenseman and the Toronto Maple Leafs might have what they're looking for.
After a fantastic sophomore campaign in 2022-23, Durzi was traded by the Los Angeles Kings to the Arizona Coyotes for a second round pick. He tallied a career-high 41 points in 76 contests last year and was expected to carry the load for the Utah Hockey Club in their inaugural season.
Unfortunately, Durzi was injured 4 games into the season and after being placed on the IR, it was announced that he would miss 4-5 months after undergoing surgery. With Utah willing to be more aggressive than their counterparts, they will be perusing the trade market and the Toronto Maple Leafs could be the perfect partner with Timothy Liljegren on the outside looking in.
Cory Wilkins from Clean Hits Hockey broke down why he believes that the Utah Hockey Club should target Liljegren and also why it makes sense for the team to make that move this early in the season:
In a separate article, he also talked about how Utah is also without the services of John Marino who has yet to play this season. They made a recall from their AHL affiliate to fill the void for the time being but they would much prefer a more stable NHL presence at the moment.
While Liljegren hasn't been as formal with his trade request as Nick Robertson was earlier in the summer,it's widely believed that both sides are willing to accommodate a move for the Swedish defenseman. Utah is a great partner for the Leafs because they can absorb the 3 million dollar cap and in return they could offer a second round pick, considering they have three in the 2026 draft.
Liljegren has found himself to be on the outside looking in with Craig Berube and despite his first round status, he's yet to live up to the expectations. Perhaps a move to Utah could unlock that potential and he could slide in seamlessly considering how similar his game is to Durzi's.
| POLL | ||
OCTOBRE 18 | 2002 ANSWERS Western Conference Team Emerges as Top Trade Candidate for Timothy Liljegren If Utah offered a 2nd round pick for Timothy Liljegren, would you accept it if you were the GM? | ||
| Yes, that is a very good offer | 1208 | 60.3 % |
| No, I'd prefer to keep him instead | 427 | 21.3 % |
| Maybe, I'd rather a player instead of a pick | 367 | 18.3 % |
| List of polls | ||
