The Toronto Maple Leafs agreed to a multi-year extension with pending free-agent defenseman Timothy Liljegren, the franchise announced on June 30.
According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, Liljegren is staying with the Toronto Maple Leafs after all, signing a two-year contract worth $3 million annually.
It looked like Liljegren could not return to the Leafs as the franchise might want to avoid arbitration, but ultimately both sides reached an agreement.
Liljegren just completed a two-year, $2.8 million deal in 2024 and there were reports about a potential trade being in the works throughout the NHL draft.
According to Jonas Siegel of The Athletic, Liljegren’s new contract doesn’t have any trade protection. That means the blueliner can still be traded at some point through his new deal if the Leafs want to move him.
“Liljegren’s new contract has zero no-trade protection, according to the source. The Brad Treliving front office isn’t exactly enamoured with Liljegren, not yet anyway,” Siegel reported.
From Maple Leafs 1st-Round Pick to Future-On-The-Line Player
Toronto drafted Liljegren with the No. 17 pick in the 2017 NHL draft. Liljegren has scored 14 goals and 51 points through 196 regular season games since making his debut. He also has 1 assist in 13 playoff games.
Liljegren played 55 games in the 2023-24 regular season scoring 3 goals and 23 points. with a plus-3 plus-minus mark. He scored 1 point (an assist) in six postseason games against the Boston Bruins.
This new contract ensures Liljegren will become an unrestricted free agent in 2026, and by signing it the Leafs avoided the risk of reaching arbitration and overpaying for the defenseman.
Liljegren’s new contract also makes the 25-year-old blueliner a potentially more appealing trade asset, as his cap hit is manageable and he’s under contract for two years instead of a pending free agent at the end of the 2024-25 season.
Will the Maple Leafs Keep Looking to Trade Liljegren?
According to Jonas Siegel of The Athletic, Liljegren’s future role with the team may depend on Toronto’s moves in free agency.
“How the Leafs proceed in free agency will factor into what kind of role Liljegren will have next season, and perhaps whether he sticks around,” Siegel reported in a story discussing the extension. “At worst, he’s insurance if they can’t lure multiple defenders on the right side and/or a veteran depth defender.”
Siegel believes the defenseman could be more tradeable now that he was on June 29 when he had yet to agree to an extension. Liljegren would have entered free agency on July 1, so any team trading for him would have been forced to negotiate a new contract with the former first-round pick.
“Liljegren at this price tag for the next two seasons should be more appealing as a trade asset,” Siegel wrote.
David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reported on June 23 that the Leafs were open to trading Liljegren.
“The Leafs are willing to move Liljegren and have reportedly made him available. Packaging Liljegren in a deal for an upgrade, either up front or on the blueline, may be the preference,” Pagnotta reported.
The Leafs enter July 1 with $12.9 million in cap space following Liljegren’s and Max Domi‘s extensions signed on June 30. Toronto, however, only has 17 of 23 players under contract.
Key unrestricted free agents include T.J. Brodie, Joel Edmundson, Mark Giordano, Noah Gregor, Matt Murray, and Ilya Lyubushkin. Tyler Bertuzzi will sign with the Chicago Blackhawks on July 1.
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