Capitals Sign Timothy Liljegren To Two-Year Extension
According to a team announcement, the Washington Capitals have extended defenseman Timothy Liljegren to a two-year deal worth around $6.5MM ($3.25MM AAV), as first reported by David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period.
The 27-year-old finished this past year with Washington, playing just four games with the Capitals after being traded in exchange for a fourth-round pick in 2026 from San Jose at this past deadline. With the Sharks, Liljegren finished with one goal for 11 points in 43 games in over 20 minutes of average time on ice and had 83 blocks, which was fourth on the team in that statistical category as well by season’s end.
Liljegren was the back end of a two-year, $6MM ($3MM AAV) contract that he originally signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs in the summer of 2024. In Toronto, he played just one game on that contract before he was traded early in the 2024-25 season to the San Jose Sharks for a package deal. He finished his 2024-25 campaign playing 67 games with the Sharks.
The 6-foot-1 Swede was originally selected 17th overall by the Maple Leafs in the first round of the 2017 NHL Draft and spent his formative six years in Toronto, signing his entry-level contract and later a two-year deal in 2022 worth $2.8MM (1.4MM).
Liljegren’s short stint in Washington saw few games in the lineup, but after top prospect Cole Hutson entered the mix, having finished his NCAA career at Boston University, most of his time was spent in the press box as a healthy scratch.
Washington’s blue line has two other defenseman who have a right handedness under contract. Liljegren is second on the depth chart in that category in terms of the highest average annual value for next season, behind Matt Roy ($5.75MM) and ahead of Dylan McIlrath ($850K). The Capitals have a little over $33MM in cap space and have a few important names to address among expiring contracts. It should be noted that Washington enters next year with the uncertainty of when Rasmus Sandin will return, who is currently healing from his ACL surgery and has been a mainstay for the Capitals’ defensive group.
Alex Ovechkin is the huge headliner that looms for the Capitals among their UFA players. Add in forwards Brandon Duhaime and David Kampf, as well as restricted free agents in Connor McMichael and Hendrix Lapierre, and that will give Chris Patrick some thinking to do. This signing begs the question of what Washington will do about pending UFA Trevor van Riemsdyk, who remains a question mark on the defensive side of expiring deals. As a veteran 34-year old right-shot blue-liner, it’ll be interesting to see if Patrick will opt to run it back with all the familiar names he had in 2025-26 while Sandin heals from his injury and inserts a full campaign of their shiny new toy in Hutson.
Evaluating Trade Deadline Acquisitions By Non-Playoff Teams
The Stanley Cup Playoffs are in full swing, but with half the league looking ahead, and more soon to join them, it’s time to look back at the non-playoff clubs and evaluate their moves. Whether an aggressive swing on a rental, or a more modest “win now, and later” deal, how are their trades looking?
Los Angeles’ blockbuster acquisition of Artemi Panarin didn’t yield a single playoff win, nor did the Warren Foegele trade help Ottawa avoid a sweep at the hands of his former club in Carolina. Yet both the Kings and Senators at least qualified for the postseason. What about those who did not? In order to meet the criteria below, the following March acquisitions had to have clear “win now” intentions. How did each of these players fare with their new clubs up to game 82, and what comes next?
One of the bigger deals of deadline day, Detroit finally supplemented their blue line, trading for St. Louis’ Justin Faulk in exchange for first and third-round picks in 2026, Justin Holl, and unsigned KHL prospect Dmitri Bychelnikov.
In 17 games with Detroit, Faulk’s corsi share at five-on-five actually dipped slightly from his time on the bottom-feeding Blues, to 44.8%. His ice time dropped over two minutes to 20:15, the lowest average for the veteran in six years. A second-pairing option alongside Ben Chiarot, Faulk’s powerplay role dropped to PP2 behind Moritz Seider. All told, the Wings closed out the campaign with a 6-10-3 record after acquiring Faulk, and as is no secret, they missed the playoffs for the 10th consecutive season. The 34-year-old defenseman is signed through next season at $6.5MM, at least not a rental in a trade which didn’t move the needle.
Meanwhile, the Blues will enjoy another first rounder, currently 15th overall. St. Louis did the 34-year-old Holl right and skated him in nine contests, his first NHL action of the campaign. Recording two points, his $3.4MM contract will come off the books this summer, and there’s a strong possibility the veteran of 405 games saw his last NHL duty as a Blue. Regardless, St. Louis likely came out on top based on the strong first rounder alone, a pick which will always be tied to Detroit based on their selection’s eventual development.
Sticking with St. Louis, they netted more assets, sending captain Brayden Schenn to the Islanders for another first and third round pair in 2026, along with Jonathan Drouin and Marcus Gidlöf.
A steep price to pay for a 34-year-old whose days as a top center are long behind, Schenn regained some scoring touch on Long Island, posting six goals and 11 points in 19 games. A Kyle Palmieri replacement of sorts, Schenn got power play time and played on the wing. Still signed through 2027-28 at $6.5MM, the veteran won’t be going anywhere.
After struggling with the Islanders, Drouin got a fresh start with the Blues, recording three points in nine games. His contract runs through next year, at a suboptimal $4MM, but as the franchise turns to the future, he will work to rebuild his stock. On the flip side, a buyout would not be a shock.
Going 8-11 after bringing in Schenn and missing the playoffs, thankfully for New York, St. Louis will take Colorado’s first round selection, originally acquired in the Brock Nelson trade. Somewhat softening the blow, it’s a reasonable price as long as Schenn can maintain top six production for at least one more year.
A player already making the most of his contract year, Bobby McMann’s Seattle tenure leaves his free agent market only more fascinating. The late-blooming undrafted winger was dealt from Toronto, fetching them a conditional second rounder in 2027 along with a fourth round selection in this summer’s draft.
With the Kraken, McMann cemented himself as a true top six scorer, his ice time jumping to just under 18 minutes a night, by far the highest of his career. The power forward notched 10 goals in just 18 games, shooting at a 17.2% clip.
Despite McMann’s hot streak, the Kraken won just one regulation game out of their last 16 games, a brutal stretch which doomed their playoff hopes. A strong fit, they’d be wise to re-sign the 29-year-old, but there’s no telling what McMann will be offered on the open market. As for Toronto, a second rounder is a nice return for a player they were prepared to lose for nothing, however, it won’t be much help for a team desperate to turn things around fast.
Moving along, the Columbus Blue Jackets acquired Conor Garland from Vancouver for a third round choice in 2026 and a second rounder in 2028.
Clearly with no Canucks players to analyze yet, it falls entirely on Garland and his production with the Jackets. The 30-year-old netted five goals in 21 games with Columbus, nearly matching his seven in 50 contests as a Canuck, although his usage dropped nearly six whole minutes. Still signed until 2029-30 at $6MM, it’s a deal which raises serious question marks for the Jackets. He and Mathieu Olivier share the distinction of the longest signed forwards on a group composed of mostly younger players, and for better or for worse, they’re banking on his 50-point production moving ahead.
Back to Detroit, they brought back a familiar face, David Perron from the Senators for a conditional fourth round pick. The 37-year-old’s usage was relatively the same, but he tallied just three points (all goals) in 16 games. Perron will hit the market this offseason, with the chance that he played his 1,239th and final NHL game. With no conditions to worry about on Detroit’s side, they’ll be lacking a fourth rounder in June, but it’s nothing to lose sleep over after a reunion with a respected veteran.
Rounding out the group, the Washington Capitals dealt for Timothy Liljegren from San Jose for a 2026 fourth round selection. A team so often known for their reclamation projects, it wasn’t the cleanest turnaround for GM Mike Grier, who gave up a third round pick to Toronto for the former top prospect. Still, it was a fine return for a player not in future plans after a worthwhile flyer taken.
The 26-year-old made just four appearances in Washington, not recording any stats. If that is it for his Caps tenure, there could still be a market for the righty as a bottom pairing option, still offering some untapped potential, although time is wearing thin. Either way, there was little to lose, as at the time Washington was still intent on making the playoffs, with a John Carlson-sized gap on their blue line.
With none of the trades above made the difference in their buyers making the postseason, Faulk, Schenn, and Garland will try to prove their organizations right in 2026-27, while their fans will hope no draft steals in Buffalo will lead to scrutiny in years to come. McMann and Liljegren could depart for nothing in return, leaving short tenures. Finally, Perron missed an opportunity to add to his 110 playoff games, which would have happened should he have stayed in Ottawa, but he may have put the final touches on an impressive 19-year-career back with an Original Six franchise.
Image Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images (Schenn)
Image Credit: Kevin Ng-Imagn Images (McMann)
Capitals Acquire Timothy Liljegren
2:52 p.m.: Washington has announced the deal and sent the Golden Knights’ 2026 fourth-round pick the other way to complete it.
1:06 p.m.: The Capitals are acquiring defenseman Timothy Liljegren from the Sharks, Chris Johnston of TSN and The Athletic reports. We’re still waiting on the return.
While San Jose is in a playoff race of their own, they have a bevy of pending unrestricted free agent blue-liners. Liljegren is one of them, and they were widely expected to ship multiple names from that group out today to continue recouping at least mid-level assets as they slowly emerge from the ashes of their rebuild.
Acquired from the Maple Leafs early last season, the Sharks have given Liljegren the longest leash of his career. A first-round pick by Toronto in 2017, he was never able to break into a top-four role there but is now averaging over 20 minutes per game in San Jose. Given how much he’s produced at lower levels, the Sharks were likely hoping for a bit more production than the seven goals and 28 points he provided in 110 games since October 2024.
Liljegren didn’t get much power-play time, though, especially this season, with Dmitry Orlov and John Klingberg taking up those quarterback slots. With Klingberg being a potential extension candidate given his play and youngsters Shakir Mukhamadullin and Sam Dickinson pushing for more ice time moving forward, the 26-year-old Liljegren didn’t look like a long-term fit.
The move is a sign the Caps aren’t entirely punting on this season, even after trading away franchise defender John Carlson and center Nic Dowd for futures in the last couple of days. Washington’s playoff odds have slipped to a small but still tangible 21.3%, per MoneyPuck. They only find themselves four points out of a spot.
Liljegren could stick around past this season if there’s mutual interest in an extension. Matt Roy is now the only everyday NHL right-shot they have signed for next year, so assuming they shift one of their lefties over to their offside to make room for top prospect Cole Hutson to join the team from college in the coming days, as expected, there’s a hole that Liljegren fills in the Caps’ bottom four.
Image courtesy of Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images.
Morning Notes: Panarin, Liljegren, Ekman-Larsson
There’s no question that the New York Rangers are looking to move pending unrestricted free agent Artemi Panarin before today’s 3 p.m. CT Olympic roster freeze. A handful of teams have already been prominently linked to Panarin, and a recent update from David Pagnotta alerted that the situation remains incredibly fluid, lowering the chances of a trade coming together by this afternoon.
In his update, Pagnotta suggested that the Carolina Hurricanes, Florida Panthers, Los Angeles Kings, and San Jose Sharks remain interested in acquiring Panarin with an extension. In contrast, the Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars, and Edmonton Oilers view him only as a rental. Additionally, Pagnotta mentioned that unless something changes relatively soon, the Anaheim Ducks, Detroit Red Wings, Utah Mammoth, and Washington Capitals are no longer in the running.
On yesterday’s edition of Insider Trading, TSN’s Chris Johnston reported that at least one team has put $40MM on the table for Panarin, which would presumably translate to a three-year deal with an AAV of $13.3MM or a four-year contract with an AAV of $10MM.
Other updates from this morning:
- In the same update from Pagnotta, he suggests that the Sharks are actively shopping Timothy Liljegren, as well as other pending-UFA defensemen, on the trade market. San Jose could ultimately sign a few of them to extensions over the next few weeks, though Pagnotta confirmed that Liljegren is not a part of the organization’s long-term plans. The former 17th overall pick in the 2017 NHL Draft has 10 assists in 41 games this season, averaging 20:15 of ice time per contest.
- Lastly, Pagnotta reported that if the Toronto Maple Leafs pivot toward selling ahead of the March 6th trade deadline, plenty of teams will be interested in acquiring Oliver Ekman-Larsson. It won’t be without hurdles, as the 34-year-old defenseman is signed through the 2027-28 season at a $3.5MM salary with a 16-team no-trade clause. Still, he’s having an excellent offensive year with Toronto, scoring eight goals and 34 points in 56 games, with most of that production coming at even strength.
San Jose Sharks Injury Updates
Ahead of tomorrow’s matchup against the Minnesota Wild, the head coach of the San Jose Sharks, Ryan Warsofsky, issued a multitude of injury updates. Unfortunately, there weren’t too many positive updates.
Regarding the forward core, and likely the most optimistic of all the updates, Warsofsky relayed to Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News that both Philipp Kurashev (upper body) and Will Smith (undisclosed) skated this morning. Additional reporting suggests that they skated before the team’s full practice, and they’re still both considered week-to-week.
Warsofsky also shared with Pashelka that Adam Gaudette is considered day-to-day with a lower-body injury, which explains Pavol Regenda‘s recall earlier today. Still, the impact of being without Kurashev and Smith for the next few weeks can’t be overstated. Despite being out since December 13th, the latter remains the second-highest scorer in San Jose with 12 goals and 29 points in 33 games. Kurashev is ninth with 15 points in 31 contests.
Furthermore, the Sharks will be playing with a banged-up defensive core, too. Max Miller of Sharks Hockey Digest reported that Timothy Liljegren will not suit up against the Wild tomorrow and remains day-to-day with an upper-body injury. The former 17th overall pick has not played since December 18th and has registered four assists in 28 games this season while averaging over 20 minutes per night.
Additionally, the team doesn’t expect Vincent Desharnais to return anytime soon. Miller added in the same report that Desharnais is still considered week-to-week, which could push his games lost past 20. Desharnais, who, like Liljegren, is scheduled to hit unrestricted free agency next summer, has only appeared in 20 games for San Jose this season.
The only injured member of the team’s defense that hasn’t been ruled out tomorrow is Shakir Mukhamadullin. Still, Pashelka noted that Mukhamadullin is questionable, meaning the Sharks could be down to six healthy blue liners. Fortunately, their only away game until January 15th is against the Los Angeles Kings on January 7th, meaning they’ll have easy access to additional bodies for the next few weeks if needed.
Snapshots: Grzelcyk, Vatrano, Liljegren
Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Matt Grzelcyk was fined $2,604.17 by the NHL Department of Player Safety for cross-checking Ottawa Senators’ center Tim Stutzle on Saturday. It is the maximum allowable fine under the CBA for this infraction. Grzelcyk cross-checked Stutzle in the face during a scrum in front of the net and was awarded a double-minor penalty. He will avoid suspension for the incident, allowing him to stick in a true utility role for the Blackhawks. Grzelcyk has averaged over 20 minutes of ice time in his last five games, far above the 16 minutes he’s averaged across the full season. He’s a veteran two-way defender with six points, all assists, and a plus-three in 35 games this season.
Other quick notes from around the league:
- Anaheim Ducks forward Frank Vatrano was also fined $5,000 by the NHL DPS for unsportsmanlike conduct against Dallas Stars winger Jason Robertson. Vatrano ragdolled Robertson after a shoving match in front of the net turned into a scrum on the boards. He has 34 penalty minutes in 35 games this season, to go with only five points and a minus-11. This news will keep Vatrano in a daily, depth role for the Ducks.
- The San Jose Sharks could be without defenseman Timothy Liljegren when they face the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday. Liljegren was designated as day-to-day and doubtful for Tuesday due to an upper-body injury, per Curtis Pashelka of Mercury News. Liljegren has averaged top-line minutes over in 28 games this season, though he only has four assists and a minus-10 on the year. Still, the 26 year old has stepped into an important, veteran role on a young Sharks lineup. He’ll be tough to replace, but rookie defender Sam Dickinson and depth defender Vincent Iorio could be the one to benefit from the need for a bigger presence.
Sharks Shake Up Lineup With Wlliam Eklund Out, Timothy Liljegren Back
The San Jose Sharks will once again shake up their lineup in the hours ahead of gametime. Top winger William Eklund is out with a lower-body injury, while Timothy Liljegren wil lreturn from a short-term absence, per Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now. The Sharks will operate with 11 forwards and seven defensemen on Sunday, with Ethan Cardwell stepping into the bottom-six for rookie Michael Misa.
Few players would be harder to lose than Eklund. He ranks second on the Sharks with five goals and 11 points through 12 games, only behind Macklin Celebrini (seven goals, 18 points). Eklund has averaged nearly 20 minutes of ice time through the early season, and played as much as 25:29 in a recent overtime win versus the Minnesota Wild. He’s returned as a core piece of the Sharks offense this season, after posting a career-year with 17 goals and 58 points in 77 games last season. His role in the lineup, and performance on the scoresheet, both continue to grow.
That will leave San Jose with an important decision as they reshape the lineup. Collin Graf should be the biggest beneficiary, moving into a top-six that also features Tyler Toffoli and Philipp Kurashev in heavy-use roles. Graf has only scored three points in 11 games this season, but his lack of offense could be offset by Kurashev, who has a dazzling seven points in his last four games.
Still, the need to replace Eklund’s offense makes the decision to scratch Msia all the more confusing. The reigning second-overall pick had a three-game point-streak between October 21st and October 26th, though hasn’t managed any scoring in his last two games. He has, however, offered up a 52.6 percent faceoff win-rate, third-highest among Sharks centers. Misa has experience at center, and on the wing, and could have been an interesting bet for top-six minutes in light of Eklund’s injury. Instead, San Jose will turn towards depth forward and grinder Cardwell, who has four points and 10 penalty minutes in seven AHL games. Cardwell was recalled on Sunday morning in a corresponding move to Ryan Reaves‘ placement on injured reserve.
The Sharks will find a silver lining in the return of Liljegren, who has served in a top-pair role for much of the season. Liljegren has only scored three points in nine games, but he and D-partner Dmitry Orlov have posted the best goal-differential of any Sharks pairing at even-strength. Getting him back into the fold after just one game out will be a major relief. Liljegren exited Saturday’s game in the first period, after a puck was deflected into the bunch and hit him in the face.
San Jose will return Liljegren to the lineup alongside rookie Sam Dickinson, who will play in his 10th game of the season. Dickinson hasn’t yet found his first NHL point through nine games. He should be rotated into favorable situations, while Liljegren steps back into an important role next to Orlov.
Evening Notes: Liljegren, Dubois, Fensore
San Jose Sharks defenseman Timothy Liljegren exited the team’s Saturday win over the Colorado Avalanche in the first period after a deflected puck hit him in the face while he was on the bench. The injury looked painful, but Liljegren isn’t expected to miss the long-term with a serious injury, head coach Ryan Warsofsky told Bay Area News Group’s Curtis Pashelka.
Liljegren recorded seven minutes of ice time and a minus-one before exiting. The injury forced an end to a red-hot streak for the veteran defender. He scored three points across his last three games, prior to Saturday, and averaged over 24 minutes of ice time across his last five. He’s begun to show some sea legs after being thrust to the top of a young Sharks blue-line in the early season. Liljegren and defense partner Dmitry Orlov have outscored their opponents three-to-one – the best mark on San Jose blue-line. That will make him tough to replace, even though he’s only managed three assists in eight games.
The Sharks are currently carrying Sam Dickinson and Vincent Iorio as their extra defenders. Right-shot Iorio would likely be the preferred fill-in, though Warsofsky wouldn’t committ to either defender yet.
Other notes from around the league:
- It seems the Washington Capitals have avoided serious injury with centerman Pierre-Luc Dubois, who sustained an injury in Friday’s game against the New York Islanders. He’s been designated as out day-to-day with a lower-body injury, per Sammi Silber of The Hockey News. Dubois was playing his third game back from a previous injury that held him out for two weeks. His struggles to find the scoresheet stuck around, though, pulling the reigning 66-point scorer through a sixth game with no scoring this season. He will miss Washington’s Saturday match against the Buffalo Sabres, but should return to his hunt for a score in the first week of November.
- With K’Andre Miller nearing a return from injury, the Carolina Hurricanes have assigned defenseman Domenick Fensore back to the minor-leagues. Fensore played in his first game of the NHL season, and third of his career, on October 28th. He recorded two shots on net and a minus-two. He’s been far more productive in the AHL, where his seven points in four games still leads the Chicago Wolves in scoring, despite the team playing two games without him. Fensore will now return to his cushy top-defender role, where he’ll look to bolster a Wolves offense that’s only scored three goals across their last three games.
Sharks Activate Timothy Liljegren From Injured Reserve
The Sharks announced that defenseman Timothy Liljegren was activated from injured reserve. He’ll re-enter the lineup tonight against the Rangers in place of rookie Sam Dickinson, Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now relayed. The club had an open roster spot after reassigning Luca Cagnoni to the AHL on Tuesday.
Liljegren’s absence ends after nine days and three games, just above the IR minimums. He was dealing with an upper-body injury that he sustained on Oct. 14 against the Hurricanes. He landed on IR last week as some other injuries forced San Jose to do some roster shuffling, but they’re back to having a full 23-player contingent with only Shakir Mukhamadullin on IR – at least, among players who aren’t effectively retired.
A first-round pick in the 2017 draft by the Maple Leafs, Liljegren was a two-time 20-point getter for Toronto but slipped down their depth chart to the point where he was a frequent healthy scratch to begin last season. He was traded to San Jose in late October and popped up as a top-four piece in the Bay Area, posting a 6-11–17 scoring line with a -25 rating in 67 appearances while averaging 19:16 of ice time per game. Those raw numbers overshadow what were generally positive under-the-hood numbers for Liljegren, whose 47.2 CF% at 5-on-5 was 2.4 points better than what the team managed to control without him on the ice.
In a three-game sample to begin 2025-26, Liljegren didn’t record a point and logged a minus-two rating but reached new ice-time heights at 20:14 per game. He’s not factoring in on San Jose’s power play like he was last year, but he saw hugely increased shorthanded deployment at three minutes per game. After starting the year alongside Mario Ferraro at even strength, he’ll have a new face to his left tonight in Dmitry Orlov, reports Max Miller of Sharks Hockey Digest.
Injury Notes: Gostisbehere, McCann, Liljegren
This afternoon, Carolina Head Coach Rod Brind’Amour told Michael Russo of The Athletic that the team believes Shayne Gostisbehere’s injury is not serious, and that he remains with the team on their trip west.
The offensive defenseman has been off to a dynamite start so far, with 7 points in just 5 games. Just two days ago, Gostisbehere left in the Canes’ win over Los Angeles due to a lower-body-injury.
Despite the good news, Gostisbehere will be absent tonight vs Vegas, as Charles-Alexis Legault is expected to make his NHL debut. The 6’4” defenseman was drafted in the fifth round of the 2023 draft by Carolina, turning pro last season with AHL Chicago, where he was a steady presence in 63 games for the Wolves.
Elsewhere across the league:
- The Seattle Kraken announced earlier today that key forward Jared McCann would not play in tonight’s game at Philadelphia, due to a lower-body-injury. It is expected that the 29-year-old will be day-to-day, thankfully not worse as Seattle is currently missing Kaapo Kakko, Frederick Gaudreau, and Ryker Evans due to injury. In McCann’s place, top prospect Berkly Catton has made his NHL debut.
- Max Miller, San Jose’s beat reporter, noted earlier today that defenseman Timothy Liljegren returned to the ice as a normal participant. The Swede remains on the team’s injured reserve, having been placed last week with an upper-body injury, however, he seems to be ramping up for a return on Thursday as the Sharks travel to take on the Rangers.