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Timothy Liljegren

Cody Ceci Placed On Injured Reserve

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After suffering a high-ankle sprain earlier this week, Cody Ceci has been placed on injured reserve by the Toronto Maple Leafs. The team has recalled Timothy Liljegren in his place. Ceci will be re-evaluated in a month’s time.

Toronto is now without Ceci and Morgan Rielly indefinitely, putting even more pressure on their defensive group. With the trade deadline just a few weeks away it also may lead to even more urgency for GM Kyle Dubas, though after making a recent move to solidify the backup goaltending position he was clear the team is looking for a long-term fix on the blueline instead of targeting the rental market.

The real decisions will likely have to wait a week until they know a more accurate timeline for Rielly. If the star defenseman is going to be out for the rest of the season they can use his cap space to land a bigger name. Otherwise, they’ll have to leave enough room for his return off long-term injured reserve before the playoffs.

For Liljegren, this is the biggest opportunity of his young career. The 20-year old was selected 17th overall in 2017 but has played in the minor leagues for all but one game to this point. Arguably one of the better two-way defensemen in the AHL at the moment, he has 29 points in 38 games for the Toronto Marlies while being used in all situations. For a team that has been desperately searching for help on the right side, the right-handed Lilejegren may get a chance to stick around.

Minor Transactions: 01/14/20

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11 games are on tap for tonight in a busy evening for the NHL, including the Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche clashing in an important Central Division match. The two teams are battling for home ice advantage in what would be a first round playoff series, with the Stars currently one point ahead of the Avalanche in the standings. The two teams have arrived there in very different ways, with Dallas allowing the fewest goals against in the league while Colorado ranks among the highest-scoring. As they and the rest of the NHL prepares for tonight, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves.

  • The Toronto Maple Leafs have recalled Timothy Liljegren after losing Morgan Rielly to a broken foot. The young defenseman will likely not play tonight, but now sits as the team’s seventh option as they insert Rasmus Sandin back into the lineup.
  • The Maple Leafs have also sent Mason Marchment back to the minors, an expected move after recently activating Andreas Johnsson from injured reserve. The team is still waiting on the return of Trevor Moore, while Ilya Mikheyev is not expected to play again this season.
  • Joseph Blandisi has been assigned to the AHL a few days after clearing waivers for the third time. The 25-year old forward has split his season between the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and Pittsburgh Penguins, scoring five points at the NHL level.
  • The New York Rangers have sent Libor Hajek to the minor leagues, likely to get in some more game action before returning to the lineup. The 21-year old defenseman returned for the Rangers on Saturday night in St. Louis, but played just 15 minutes and was relatively ineffective. In 28 games this season Hajek has five points.

Minor Transactions: 12/30/19

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With just one game on the schedule for this evening, teams are licking their wounds waiting for the New Year and the second half of the NHL season. The Ottawa Senators and Pittsburgh Penguins will be in action, but even those on a rest day will be making minor tweaks. As those come in, we’ll list them here.

  • The Toronto Maple Leafs recalled Timothy Liljegren and Teemu Kivihalme, two defensemen yet to make their NHL debuts. The Maple Leafs already lost Jake Muzzin to a broken foot and need to replace him on the roster. It seems Kivihalme will get the first shot, as Liljegren has already been returned to the AHL Marlies.
  • With Charlie McAvoy going onto injured reserve, the Boston Bruins have recalled Jeremy Lauzon under emergency conditions. McAvoy hasn’t played since before Christmas, though the injury isn’t expected to keep him out long-term. The Bruins got some good news on the injury front as well, activating forward Karson Kuhlman from the injured reserve and assigning him to AHL Providence.
  • Calvin Pickard has been recalled by the Detroit Red Wings once again, giving them another healthy goaltender. Pickard has ended up playing two games for Detroit this season, but has a 5.32 GAA and .818 save percentage.
  • Mathieu Joseph is heading back to the minor leagues once again, something the Tampa Bay Lightning have done several times this month. The young forward has still spent most of his season with the NHL club, but is bouncing back and forth lately.
  • The San Jose Sharks have recalled forward Joachim Blichfield from the AHL Barracuda, giving the youngster another opportunity after he made his NHL debut early last month. Blichfield has been one San Jose’s best minor league forwards this season and the struggling Sharks could use an offensive boost if he can translate his game to the next level.
  • Daniel Sprong is back in the NHL after a brief layover with the AHL’s San Diego Gulls. The Anaheim Ducks called up the young forward, who has spent considerable time with the team this year, but has only actually played in one game. Sprong recorded 19 points in 47 games with the Ducks last year and already has 19 points in 25 games with the Gulls, so he has the potential to make an impact in Anaheim if given the chance.
  • With the Minnesota Wild activating captain Mikko Koivu, the team has reassigned rookie forward Nico Sturm to AHL Iowa. Sturm, a highly sought-after college free agent last spring, has 12 points in 25 games wIowa this year and a pair of points in six games with Minnesota as well.

Snapshots: Haley, Liljegren, Sheahan

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The New York Rangers made their final cuts today but one name was conspicuously absent: Micheal Haley. The veteran tough guy was in training camp on a professional tryout, but appears to have made the club. Rick Carpiniello of The Athletic has heard just that, though no confirmation has yet come from the club as to what the contract would be. Haley needs an NHL deal to be eligible for the roster, but wouldn’t likely be making more than the $700K minimum salary.

With Haley sticking around, the team decided to send down young forwards like Filip Chytil and Vitali Kravtsov, expecting them to get more out of playing big minutes in the AHL. The duo are integral to the Rangers’ future and will get a chance to really dominate lesser competition in the minor leagues for the first part of the season.

  • Speaking of top prospects going back to the AHL, Timothy Liljegren’s time on the NHL roster might not be very long according to Chris Johnston of Sportsnet, who points out that the young defenseman likely made it past the final cuts for the Toronto Maple Leafs more because of cap mechanisms than performance. Liljegren is still currently on the Toronto roster but looks to need some more seasoning in the minor leagues before making an impact at the NHL level. The 20-year old was selected 17th in 2017 and had 15 points in 43 games for the Marlies last season.
  • The Edmonton Oilers have split up Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl for the time being, putting both at center on different lines with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins taking up the pivot role on the third group. Spreading out that center depth may be in part due to the fact that Riley Sheahan, who was a contender for that third-line center role, is in the concussion protocol and will be out for at least seven to ten days. Sheahan signed a one-year, $900K contract with the Oilers earlier this month after scoring nine goals and 19 points in 82 games last season split between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Florida Panthers.

Maple Leafs Still Seeking Right-Shot Defenseman

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The Toronto Maple Leafs are undoubtedly one of the top contenders for the Stanley Cup this season, but many would agree that they face an uphill battle if they don’t improve their defense corps. For years, the right side of the defense has been an issue in Toronto and nothing has changed. Nikita Zaitsev and Igor Ozhiganov are the only right-shot defenders that play regularly for the Maple Leafs and the former has struggled all season long – to the point that the team is actively shopping him and his lengthy contract – and the latter is still adjusting to an NHL pace of play. The only other righty on the blue line is Justin Holl, who is scoreless in two games so far this season as a total non-factor. Toronto needs more production, better checking, and all around more cohesion among their defensemen and it all starts with fixing the right side.

It comes as no surprise then that Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos reports that the team is still actively scouring the market for a solution on the right side, preferably a top-four caliber defender. Kypreos again mentions the St. Louis Blues’ Alex Pietrangelo, a player that the Maple Leafs were linked to earlier this season, as a possibility, but questions his availability. Colleague Elliotte Friedman also mentions Los Angeles Kings’ off-side lefty Jake Muzzin and Philadelphia Flyers’ bruiser Radko Gudas as options. The problem, and one addressed by Kypreos, is that the prices are high on these top right-side defensemen with term remaining on their contracts and he believes that the Maple Leafs are unwilling to part with young roster forwards like Kasperi Kapanen or Andreas Johnsson or top blue line prospect Rasmus Sandin to get a deal done. Kypreos lists the team’s first-round pick and AHL defensemen Timothy Liljegren and Calle Rosen as their top bargaining chips, but that likely will not be enough to land one of the top long-term defensemen on the market.

The prices will be lower on the rental market, but the options are also less appealing. The best right-handed defensemen who are impending free agents all belong to top contenders – Erik Karlsson, Anton Stralman, Dan Girardi, Tyler Myers – and even some of the more moderate options play for teams not looking to sell, such as the Golden Knights’ Deryk Engelland and the Bruins’ Steven Kampfer. If the Leafs feel adding a solid, stay-at-home righty would give them the boost they desire, the New Jersey Devils’ Ben Lovejoy or the New York Rangers’ Adam McQuaid would both be serviceable options. If they instead want a puck-mover, they could try to pry Nick Jensen from the Detroit Red Wings or Taylor Fedun from the Dallas Stars, but neither are guaranteed to be available. There simply isn’t a great market right now at right-shot defense, typical of the position that has become one of the most valuable in hockey due to scarcity. It may be the one piece that the Maple Leafs need to put them over the top, but making a deal is going to be easier said than done.

Rasmus Sandin Suffered Elbow Injury At World Juniors

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The Toronto Maple Leafs almost saw both of their top defensive prospects suit up together at the recent World Junior Championship, but a late injury to Timothy Liljegren kept him out of the tournament. Now, Scott Wheeler of The Athletic reports that Rasmus Sandin, their other prized prospect, suffered an elbow injury in Sweden’s quarterfinal exit that will keep him out of action for four to six weeks. Though Sandin is still just 18 he had been making a significant impact for the Toronto Marlies while continuing his rapid development.

It’s a big blow for a prospect that has taken huge steps forward this season and was setting himself up to challenge for a roster spot next season. Sandin, the 29th overall pick from 2018, had ten points in 18 games for the Marlies this year and logged huge minutes for Sweden in the recent tournament. The left-handed shot is an all-around defenseman that relies on quick decisions and good positioning, but will now miss more than a month of important development time.

The Maple Leafs’ minor league affiliate aren’t having quite the same season that led them to the Calder Cup last year, and have struggled to find much consistency on defense or in net. With the NHL team stripping them of talent over the last few years, it will be hard to keep up a competitive program.

Snapshots: Houston, Liljegren, Hunwick

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Ever since Tilman Fertitta bought the Houston Rockets of the NBA in September 2017, the market has been the center of much speculation that an NHL franchise could soon be heading there. Fertitta has expressed public interest in bringing the NHL to Houston, and visited the league offices to speak with the commissioner’s office about what it would take. None of that means in the slightest that there is actually going to be a second Texas-based team in the near future, but it does keep Houston at the forefront of any expansion or relocation speculation.

Today Mark Berman of Fox 26 Houston reported on Twitter that Fertitta has had “preliminary talks” regarding the purchase and relocation of the Arizona Coyotes, though the Rockets’ owner would not comment on the story. There have been other rumors recently that the Coyotes are speaking with potential buyers, but absolutely no indication that they or the league would be interested in relocation at this time. Expansion, the other option for potentially getting a team to Houston, is also seemingly off the table for the time being given that Seattle has just been introduced. The NHL has fought hard to keep the Coyotes in Arizona for years, even through struggles with the fan base, arena and on-ice product. While this report doesn’t undo any of that, it once again indicates that there is an interested owner ready to pounce should the league’s position change.

  • Timothy Liljegren has been replaced on the Swedish World Junior preliminary roster by Philip Broberg, due to the ankle injury he suffered recently. The Toronto Maple Leafs prospect would have been one of the country’s returning players after taking home a silver medal last season. Broberg meanwhile is a potential first-round pick in the upcoming draft, and could improve his stock even further with a top performance as a 17-year old. The smooth-skating defenseman can take over a game with his puck-moving skills, and has the size to really be a difference maker at the NHL level.
  • Matt Hunwick is set to head to the AHL on a conditioning stint in order to get back in game shape after a long rehab process. The former Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman was traded to the Buffalo Sabres along with Conor Sheary this summer, but has yet to play a game for the organization. There isn’t a ton of room on the Sabres blue line for the veteran when everyone is healthy, but the way Sabres defensemen have been suffering injuries he may be needed as soon as possible. Hunwick is in the second season of a three-year contract that carries a $2.25MM cap hit, and is currently on long-term injured reserve.

Atlantic Notes: Liljegren, Athanasiou, Senators

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Although the Maple Leafs have yet to decide where 2017 first rounder Timothy Liljegren will play this coming season, a return to Rogle BK in Sweden appears unlikely, reports Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston.  As he was a first rounder and has already signed his entry-level deal, Toronto gets to decide where to assign him even though Liljegren has another year on his contract in Sweden after signing a two-year extension back in March of 2016.

There are several options for the Maple Leafs to mull over assuming the blueliner doesn’t crack the NHL roster right away (which he’s not likely to do).  Since he wasn’t drafted out of the CHL, he is eligible to play for the AHL’s Marlies even though he’s just 18.  Liljegren’s rights have also been acquired in the CHL (Niagara) and the USHL (Dubuque).  Or, they could loan him back to Sweden where he’d likely spend time in the SHL and their J20 program.  However, the most likely outcome at this point would be to start in the AHL where the team could have full control over his ice time and can ease him in at their own pace.  If that were to happen, his contract would still slide unless he gets into ten or more games with the big club.

Elsewhere in the Atlantic:

  • Although contract talks don’t appear to be progressing well between the Red Wings and RFA winger Andreas Athanasiou, MLive’s Ansar Khan cautions that the team would likely match any offer sheet thrown his way. With the current offer sheet compensation, an offer as high as $3.925MM would only see Detroit pick up a second round pick if they declined to match and presumably, they could get that return in a trade without the threat of Athanasiou signing an RFA deal elsewhere.  Khan suspects that no team would be willing to go that high on an offer sheet anyway since he has just 101 games of NHL experience under his belt.
  • The Senators offered center Chris Kelly a training camp tryout but he declined, reports Postmedia’s Don Brennan. The 36-year-old played in all 82 regular season games last year for Ottawa but he elected to take a PTO with the Oilers instead earlier today.  Brennan adds that Ottawa is still looking to bring in a couple of forwards on tryouts for training camp.

Which 2017 Draft Picks Will Make Their Teams?

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This year’s draft was notoriously thin in terms of elite talent, but that doesn’t mean that some of the top choices won’t make an impact. Of course, a lot will depend on training camp and whether players will return to Juniors, College, or overseas. Nico Hischier has already signed his entry-level contract with New Jersey, as has Nolan Patrick with Philadelphia. Both look primed to make their teams out of camp, even though Patrick will be recovering from an injury. It’s common for top picks to make their teams, and it would be shocking to see either fall short. Beyond these two, however, many of the top players till need seasoning.

The third pick, Miro Heiskanen, very well could return to the Finish Elite League for IFK, or theoretically be taken in the CHL import draft. Dallas doesn’t look like they’ll try to rush it with him, but anything is possible with this talented a player. Fourth overall was defenseman Cale Makar for Colorado, who is committed to play with the University of Massachussetts. Still, Colorado is hurting badly for skill and could benefit mightily from his dynamic presence on the blueline. Fifth overall was Elias Pettersson for Vancouver, who should return to Vaxjo of the SHL. He hasn’t signed an ELC and won’t attend training camp. Sixth overall Cody Glass looks primed to make a push for a spot in Vegas if he can show he belongs. The offense acquired via the expansion draft is very lean, and if Glass can round out his frame, the team may opt to toss him into the fire. He comes from a solid program with the Portland Winterhawks, and already surprised many with his ascension to first-round status in 2016-17.

Seventh overall was 5’11 center Lias Anderssson, who will fight for a position on the New York Rangers. In May, he signed a two-year contract with SHL’s Frolunda, so he might be one of the least likely of the group to see playing time in the near future. Casey Mittelstadt went eighth overall to Buffalo, and his phenomenal performance in the 2016 U-18 World Juniors played a large role in that. He only has USHL experience under his belt, however, and is committed to the Minnesota Gophers for the 2017-18 season. Michael Rasmussen is a towering, 6’6 center from Tri City of the WHL, and his overall physical package propelled him into that 9th selection by Detroit. Detroit is in need of cheap roster players on ELCs, but rushing a player of his caliber, especially coming off an injury-marred 2016-17 season, seems unlikely. GM Ken Holland is known for his patience when it comes to prospects. Rounding out the list, we have one of the few wingers selected in the first round – Owen Tippett of the OHL’s Mississauga Steelheads. His 44 goals in 60 games caught the attention of Florida’s scouts, and he could make things interesting with a solid camp showing.

In the final evaluation, there are really only two sure-fire picks to make their teams in the 2017-18 season. Of course, there are players later in the order who could surprise and get a look as well. Gabriel Vilardi (11) would inject some much needed offense to a floundering Los Angeles squad, and already possesses NHL size. Nick Suzuki (13) could transcend Glass in Vegas as his flashy speed and exceptional passing are already pro-level. Future teammate Erik Brannstrom (15) proved again that he belongs in the conversation in the recent Summer Showcase. Timothy Liljegren (17) is already making Toronto fans salivate at his potential, and there is always someone unexpected who completely blows away the competition in camp. We shouldn’t see more than one or two surprises, but anything is possible once the players retake the ice in August for some internal competition.

In your mind, which 2017 draft picks make the NHL starting roster for their teams, excluding the obvious Hischier and Patrick? Will any of these names compete for a Calder, or will there only be one or two immediately successful rookies from this class? (For comparison’s sake, 4 players played regularly last season of all the players selected in 2016).

Please vote in our poll below!

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Toronto Maple Leafs Sign Timothy Liljegren

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The Toronto Maple Leafs’ prospect development camp ended today, and before sending him on his way the team inked top 2017 draft pick Timothy Liljegren to a three-year entry-level contract. The deal is worth $925K per season, with a possible $400K in Schedule A performance bonuses. Earlier today GM Lou Lamoriello said that Liljegren would either play in the AHL or back in Sweden next season, despite being selected in the OHL import draft by Niagara. Signing his contract now allows the team to play him with the Toronto Marlies of the AHL right away.

The most telling fact of the signing is that Toronto already had 48 of their 50 contract spots filled for next season, with a deal still needed for Connor Brown. That deal and this one would put them right at the limit, a move that seems unnecessary if Liljegren was going to be loaned back to the SHL next year. If Liljegren does play in the AHL next season he would likely be the youngest player on the team, a role filled by fellow Swede Carl Grundstrom when he came over at the end of the year.

Liljegren of course was at one point expected to go as high as second overall, but a bout of mononucleosis and questions about his decision making saw him fall all the way to the Maple Leafs at #17. Many said right away that it was a steal, but those decision making questions still remain. Making the jump to North America would give him an early chance to work in the Maple Leafs’ system and attempt to start minimizing those mistakes, while also giving him an opportunity to showcase his elite skating ability in front of the hometown crowd.

Kevin McGran of the Toronto Star reported the financial breakdown of the deal.

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