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Timothy Liljegren

Atlantic Notes: Liljegren, Toronto’s Coaching Staff, Buchberger, LeClerc

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After being eliminated in the first round, there has been plenty of speculation about the Maple Leafs shaking up their core forwards.  However, a move there almost certainly won’t be the only change this summer.  To that end, David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reports (Twitter link) that there is some early chatter that defenseman Timothy Liljegren is coming up in trade talks.  The 25-year-old matched his career high in points this season with 23 despite missing 27 games while also setting new personal bests in blocks (116) and average ice time (19:20) which puts him in good shape as he reaches restricted free agency with arbitration eligibility this summer.  If GM Brad Treliving doesn’t want to pay a raise that will likely push past the $2MM mark or if he’s looking to add more grit on the back end, Liljegren could be an intriguing trade target, one that should draw a lot of attention should Toronto opt to formally put him on the block.

More from the Atlantic:

  • Still with Toronto, the Maple Leafs named Craig Berube as their new head coach yesterday, signing him to a four-year contract. Berube, of course, last worked in St. Louis and it appears that Berube won’t be the only one joining Toronto from the Blues.  James Mirtle of The Athletic reports (Twitter link) that Berube will be bringing some of the staff from St. Louis with him.  Steve Ott, Mike Weber, David Alexander, and Michael Babcock are the current assistants on Drew Bannister’s staff.  As it is, Berube will be reunited with one of his former assistants as Mike Van Ryn was on his staff in St. Louis before being hired by Toronto last offseason.
  • The Canadiens’ AHL affiliate in Laval announced (Twitter link) that assistant coach Kelly Buchberger will not return next season. The 17-year NHL veteran had been an assistant for the Rocket for the past three seasons.  Buchberger has since been named as head coach and GM of the Devon Xtreme of the Alberta Junior Hockey League.
  • The Red Wings have invited forward Cy LeClerc to their upcoming development camp, relays Mark Divver of the New England Hockey Journal (Twitter link). The 21-year-old had a productive sophomore season with the University of New Hampshire, notching 10 goals and 18 assists in 36 games to finish second on the team in scoring.

Maple Leafs Notes: Nylander, McMann, Liljegren, Grebyonkin

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Ahead of a pivotal Game 4 matchup between the Boston Bruins and the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Maple Leafs are reportedly taking a major step towards a healthy roster. Earlier today, Chris Johnston of TSN reported that Toronto is preparing for William Nylander to play in Game 4.

Despite playing in all 82 games of the regular season, the Maple Leafs have been without their second-highest scorer for all of the playoffs at this point, dropping Game 1 and Game 3 against the Bruins. Being one of the major off-the-ice stories during this year’s postseason run, Nylander’s presence should give Toronto a better chance to even up the series tonight.

Throughout their first-round series against the Bruins, five of the Maple Leafs’ six total goals have come from the team’s top two forward units, with the bottom two failing to generate much offense outside of Game 1. In practice, Nylander has been skating on the team’s third line with Calle Jarnkrok and Pontus Holmberg, which should give Toronto a more complete offense in tonight’s contest.

Other Maple Leafs notes:

  • Unlike Nylander, one player not ready to return to Toronto’s lineup is forward Bobby McMann, who has been battling a lower-body injury since the Maple Leafs’ game against the Detroit Red Wings on April 13th. Earlier today, Luke Fox of Sportsnet reported that McMann had not been ruled out for the first-round series against the Bruins, but his timeline is still up in the air given that he has not attempted to skate since the injury.
  • One lineup change that will take place for Game 4 is the swap of Timothy Liljegren for T.J. Brodie. The pairing of Joel Edmundson and Liljegren has not been very effective against the team’s Atlantic Division rival through the first three games, and Lance Hornby of the Toronto Sun suggested earlier today that this is due in large part to Liljegren not being 100% healthy.
  • Outside of the Maple Leafs’ postseason run, the team received some positive news today on the prospect front, as forward Nikita Grebyonkin has mutually agreed to terminate his contract with Metallurg Magnitogorsk of the Kontinental Hockey League, paving the way for him to sign an NHL contract with Toronto (X Link). Taken with the 135th overall pick of the 2022 NHL Draft, Grebyonkin concluded the 2023-24 KHL season on a high note after scoring 19 goals and 41 points in 67 games. While only managing to score three goals and six points in 26 playoff games, Grebyonkin helped his team capture the Gagarin Cup on April 24th, sweeping Lokomotiv Yaroslavl in the Finals.

Maple Leafs Notes: Nylander, Lyubushkin, Brodie, Matthews

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Star winger William Nylander has finally received some positive momentum in his return from injury, with head coach Sheldon Keefe telling The Athletic’s Luke Fox that Nylander will be a game-time decision ahead of Game Four (Twitter link). He has missed the first three games of the series with a migraine issue, though his exact diagnosis hasn’t been confirmed. When asked about it earlier, Nylander said, “Look, that’s just personal so I’m not going to get into that … but anything else you guys want to discuss [I’ll comment on].”

There’s no arguing that Toronto is simply better with Nylander in the lineup. The 27-year-old forward just wrapped up his second consecutive season with 40 goals and set a career-high 98 points along the way. He’s now missing his first games of the season, after playing in all 82 regular-season games for the second year in a row. Migraines have plagued Nylander for years now, even pushing him to switch to a tinted visor ahead of last season. He’s now overcoming those challenges once again and could be poised to make a big impact in a series that Toronto is trailing 2-1.

Other notes from Toronto:

  • Defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin welcomed the birth of his first daughter, and third child, on Friday morning. He traveled home to be with his wife during the process, missing Toronto’s Friday morning skate. Despite that, Keefe says he’ll still be an option in Saturday’s Game Three, shares the Toronto Sun’s Terry Koshan (Twitter link). Lyubushkin has so far appeared in all three games this series, recording one assist, one penalty, and one shot on net. He’s a part of a rotation of Leafs defensemen vying for a lineup spot, competing with Joel Edmundson, Simon Benoit, and Conor Timmins.
  • Speaking of that competition, veteran T.J. Brodie is expected to step into the lineup over Timothy Liljegren, per Fox (Twitter link). Liljegren has yet to record a point through three playoff games, with his only stat change coming in the form of a -2. That’s despite averaging over 19 minutes of ice time through the start of the series. He’ll be replaced by Brodie, who’s managed 55 games of postseason experience over his 14-year NHL career. This includes 11 games with Toronto last season, with Brodie managing three assists, a -3, and 12 penalty minutes.
  • Superstar Auston Matthews also missed the team’s Friday skate with an illness that NHL insider Chris Johnston says he played through on Wednesday (Twitter link). Per Johnston, Keefe dubbed Matthews’ absence as a maintenance day, and didn’t make it seem like the historic goal-scorer was at risk of missing time. Toronto will certainly hope that’s the case, as Matthews is currently tied for the team-lead in playoff scoring with three points in as many games. His scoring has been matched by linemate Max Domi.

Snapshots: Cates, Fast, Liljegren

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The Philadelphia Flyers have announced that forward Noah Cates will be out on Thursday due to personal reasons (Twitter link). Cam Atkinson will step back into the lineup in his place, marking the first game Atkinson has played since March 16th. The veteran Atkinson will step back into the lineup looking to snap a 16-game scoring drought. He’s managed 25 shots in that stretch, though his only other stat changes have come via a -9 and, interestingly, the first fight of Atkinson’s 10-year career. He squared off against Tampa Bay forward Michael Eyssimont, who used his two-inch size advantage to pummel Atkinson.

Atkinson is taking on more grit and responsibility as he finds himself fighting for a consistent spot in the lineup. The Flyers will hope he can find his groove soon, as he fills in for Cates’ role on the fourth-line. Cates has just 13 points through 51 games this season – a far step down from his 38 points as a rookie last year. He’s sacrificed scoring for a much more poised, all-around role, improving his faceoff percentage by five percent this season and yet to record a penalty this season. Atkinson will face pressure from healthy scratches Garnet Hathaway and Nicolas Deslauriers if he can’t make an impact quickly.

Other notes from around the league:

  • Jesper Fast will miss his fifth straight game on Thursday, per NHL.com’s Walt Ruff (Twitter link). Fast has been recovering from an upper-body injury and returned to the team’s practice in a no-contact jersey. He’s served in a quaint role when healthy, managing six goals and 18 points in 66 games while averaging 12:48 in ice time. Jack Drury and Stefan Noesen have gained a boost in ice time with Fast out, though Carolina could also lean on healthy scratch Brendan Lemieux if needed.
  • Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Timothy Liljegren has been removed from the team’s lineup on Thursday, per NHL Network’s David Alter (Twitter link). He was a late call for head coach Sheldon Keefe and will now miss the game with an upper-body injury. Liljegren’s absence opens the door for Mark Giordano to return to the lineup, marking his first game since February 29th. Giordano, the NHL’s oldest player, has one goal and seven points in 38 games this season.

Atlantic Notes: Tkachuk, Gadjovich, Johnson, Liljegren

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The Ottawa Senators have announced that team captain Brady Tkachuk will miss the team’s Saturday night game with an upper-body injury. This announcement came just over 20 minutes before game time. The nature of the injury isn’t clear, though Tkachuk did leave the team’s Friday night game early after colliding with Arizona Coyotes forward Liam O’Brien early in the third period. He managed roughly 19 minutes of ice time, six hits, and a +2 before exiting.

Tkachuk has been a major contributor this season, leading the team in goals with 26 and ranked third in points with 50. He’s also recorded 104 penalty minutes on the year – one of just three NHL players to cross the century mark in penalty minutes, with O’Brien leading the league in that category. Ottawa is not currently carrying an extra forward, likely meaning they’ll play Saturday down a player – which would make them eligible for an emergency call-up after the game. Rourke Chartier has served as the team’s de facto recall this season, playing in 34 NHL games and scoring three points, though he’s one of five different Belleville Senators forwards to play with Ottawa this season.

Other notes around the Division:

  • Florida Panthers forward Jonah Gadjovich is expected to return when the team visits the New York Rangers on Monday, per the team’s Senior Digital Content Manager Jameson Olive. Olive describes Gadjovich’s injury as “minor”. Gadjovich also sat out of Florida’s Thursday night win over the Montreal Canadiens. He’s recorded four points, split evenly, and 90 penalty minutes in 31 games this season.
  • Buffalo Sabres defenseman Erik Johnson will continue to sit out of the lineup with illness, per Lance Lysowski of the Buffalo News. Johnson also missed Buffalo’s Thursday night game, after being a surprise absentee from the team’s practice. He’s appeared in 50 games this season, with three goals marking his only scoring. Johnson is in the 16th season of his career, totaling 970 games and 340 points in the league.
  • Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Timothy Liljegren will be a game-time decision on Saturday, per TSN’s Mark Masters. The 24-year-old defenseman took part in the team’s practice on Saturday, making progress from an undisclosed injury that’s held him out of the team’s last two games. He has 16 points in 40 games this season.

Maple Leafs Notes: Trade Deadline, Giordano, Lyubushkin, Liljegren, Järnkrok

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The Maple Leafs are willing to part with a first-round pick at the trade deadline for the right deal, GM Brad Treliving said Friday (via Jonas Siegel of The Athletic). That deal won’t take the form of a rental acquisition, as Treliving preached being “careful with first-round picks for short-term help,” which falls in line with the organization’s reported unwillingness to surrender one in a deal for former Flames blue-liner Chris Tanev, now traded to the Stars.

In terms of blue-line targets, that could include Capitals shutdown man Nick Jensen, who Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman said the Maple Leafs may have interest in on Friday’s “32 Thoughts” podcast episode. He’s having a down year offensively, with eight assists in 56 games, but he logs top-four minutes consistently. He’s also controlled possession quality well over the past few seasons in shutdown-only usage.

Jensen’s $4.05MM cap hit through 2026 may be too much term for Treliving’s liking, though, especially if the Capitals are averse to retaining salary. With Jensen locked up for a few more years, there’s also little incentive for Washington to move him while they’re in the middle of a playoff race unless a significant offer is tabled.

Other updates from the Leafs:

  • Veteran defenseman Mark Giordano sustained a concussion when he crashed into the boards during the first period of yesterday’s 4-2 win over the Coyotes, head coach Sheldon Keefe confirmed (via Lance Hornby of the Toronto Sun). He has been designated for injured reserve before tomorrow’s game against the Rangers, opening the roster spot necessary for Ilya Lyubushkin after the team acquired him from the Ducks last night. The Leafs are hoping Lyubushkin can debut in his second stint with Toronto tomorrow if travel issues don’t pose any threats, Keefe said. If he makes it, he’s expected to be reunited with former partner Morgan Rielly. He would replace Giordano in the lineup and allow T.J. Brodie to slide back to his natural left side along with Jake McCabe on a shutdown second pairing.
  • Another question mark for tomorrow is the health of Timothy Liljegren, who did not practice today but hasn’t been ruled out against the Rangers, Keefe said. Liljegren, 24, has now missed two games with an undisclosed injury but would provide the Leafs with two right-shot options if he and Lyubushkin are both okay to play. His return would push William Lagesson to the press box, and he would likely replace McCabe on the second pairing alongside Brodie. That duo was quite effective during Rielly’s recent five-game suspension, dominating possession play while shouldering top-pairing minutes. McCabe would then form a third pairing with Simon Benoit, giving Toronto perhaps their most well-rounded defense lineup of the season.
  • Someone who could force an additional roster move is winger Calle Järnkrok, who practiced today and is nearing a return from a knuckle fracture that’s kept him out since late January. Keefe did not rule him out for tomorrow’s game, although he seems unlikely to return just yet. The Leafs will need to open a spot on the roster for his return, which could result in placing recent frequent healthy scratch Noah Gregor on waivers or demoting their lone waiver-exempt depth forward, Nicholas Robertson, to the AHL’s Toronto Marlies. Järnkrok replaced Robertson’s role in the lineup during line rushes at this morning’s practice, skating alongside Bobby McMann and captain John Tavares in his new third-line role.

Injury Notes: Andersen, Norris, Liljegren

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Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen will hopefully return within the next week, per Hurricanes general manager and president Don Waddell. Andersen has been out since November 2nd, battling a deep-vein thrombosis with a subsequent pulmonary embolism. Andersen was cleared to resume skating on January 31st. Now nearly a month later, Andersen is progressing back to game readiness – a sigh of relief for a Carolina team that’s leaned on five different goalies this season.

Andersen played in six games this season before stepping away, recording four wins and a .894 save percentage. He served as Carolina’s most frequently used goalie last season, playing in 34 games and recording a .903 save percentage. It was a step down from the  2021-22 season, his first year in Carolina, when he managed an impressive 35 wins and a .922 save percentage in 52 games. The 34-year-old Andersen is signed through the end of the 2024-25 season, carrying a $3.4MM cap hit.

Other notes from around the league:

  • The Ottawa Senators are expecting to miss forward Joshua Norris for an extended time, per the team’s head coach Jacques Martin. Norris recently underwent an MRI to assess the severity of an upper-body injury. He sustained the injury in Ottawa’s Tuesday night game against the Nashville Predators, crashing hard into the boards. The collision seemed to come close to Norris’ left shoulder, which was surgically-repaired after the 2019 World Junior Hockey Championship. This news could make Norris a candidate for long-term injured reserve, which would provide Ottawa with enough cap space to recall extra bodies to fill in for Norris.
  • Timothy Liljegren is continuing to carry a day-to-day injury designation and won’t play in the team’s Thursday night game against Arizona, per head coach Sheldon Keefe. Liljegren has been out since February 4th, battling an undisclosed injury. He’s recorded 16 points in 40 appearances this season.

Afternoon Notes: Eichel, Monahan, Liljegren, Timmins

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Star Vegas Golden Knights forward Jack Eichel returned to the team’s practices today, donning a no-contact jersey. It’s his first appearance on the ice since January 11th, as Eichel has been facing a knee injury that required surgery. The injury earned him a spot on long-term injured reserve in mid February, though he’s missed enough games to be eligible to return. Now in a no-contact jersey, it seems Eichel is just awaiting clearance to resume contact and a full practice. The 27-year-old has joined Vegas on their current four-game road trip across the Atlantic Division, which will feature a matchup against Eichel’s former Buffalo Sabres on Saturday. It’s not yet clear if he’ll be able to play in that matchup, though his return to practice suggests he’ll return soon.

Eichel’s return will illicit a big sigh of relief from Vegas’ top brass. The team recently lost star winger Mark Stone to a lacerated spleen that earned him a spot on injured reserve. Vegas is also down William Carrier, Brett Howden, and Pavel Dorofeyev – forcing the club to lean on depth options like Brendan Brisson, Byron Froese, and Sheldon Rempal.

In Eichel, Vegas is getting back their only player still scoring at, or above, a point-per-game pace. Eichel has 19 goals and 44 points through 42 games this season, while leading the team’s forwards in ice time. The Golden Knights will hope he can quickly bounce back to the role of lineup star and save them from the 1-4-1 stretch they find themselves on.

Other notes from around the league:

  • The Winnipeg Jets are expecting Sean Monahan to slot back into the lineup, after missing the team’s Sunday game with illness, per team reporter Scott Billeck with the Winnipeg Sun. Monahan has played in eight games since being traded to the Winnipeg Jets, scoring five points but still searching for his first assist. The scoring brings Monahan’s totals up to 40 points in 57 games this season – the most he’s scored since the 2019-20 season.
  • Timothy Liljegren is slated to miss the Toronto Maple Leafs’ Tuesday night game against the Vegas Golden Knights with an undisclosed injury, per head coach Sheldon Keefe. Keefe added that Liljegren got banged up in the team’s Saturday game against the Colorado Avalanche, with Liljegren leaving the bench later into the third period. The 24-year-old defenseman has 16 points across 40 games this season.
  • Conor Timmins has returned to skating, though he’s not yet cleared to skate with the team, per team reporter David Alter. Timmins has been out since January 24th with mononucleosis. It’s another halt in Timmins’ season, which kicked off with a lower-body injury that held him out until late November. He’s since sat out due to being a healthy scratch and dealing with illness. Timmins, 25, has six points in 16 games this season.

Maple Leafs Notes: Murray, Giordano, Liljegren, Järnkrok

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Make it a potential fourth goalie in the Maple Leafs’ rotation. While he’s not ready to re-join the team at practice, LTIR-bound Matt Murray has begun facing shots during on-ice workouts and is slowly making his way toward a potential return to action, head coach Sheldon Keefe said today (via David Alter of The Hockey News).

Murray, 29, underwent off-season hip surgery and has remained on LTIR since July. He was not available to Toronto for last year’s run to Game 5 of the Second Round against the Panthers due to a concussion, last playing in a loss to the Red Wings on April 2, 2023.

The two-time Stanley Cup champion with Pittsburgh is in his second season under contract with the Maple Leafs. They acquired him at 25% salary retention from the Senators in exchange for future considerations in a July 2022 trade. He could not return to form with the NHL’s other Ontario club, however, posting a pedestrian .903 SV% and 14-8-2 record in 26 starts last season. He struggled with injuries throughout the campaign and, even if healthy, would have been surpassed on the depth chart by both Ilya Samsonov and Joseph Woll by the end of the season.

Such is the place he finds himself in now. His $4.7MM cap hit has been instrumental in helping Toronto stay cap-compliant this season, and while they’ll still have a significant amount of guaranteed relief for the rest of the season in the form of Jake Muzzin and John Klingberg’s contracts, Murray coming off LTIR and onto Toronto’s books would limit any hopes of adding money at the trade deadline. However, it doesn’t appear at this point that the Maple Leafs anticipate him back before the end of the regular season, although a return to serve as their third-string netminder during the postseason hasn’t been ruled out. He will be a UFA this summer, as will Samsonov and Martin Jones, leaving Woll as the only NHL-ready Toronto goalie under contract next season.

Other updates from the Leafs today:

  • Defenseman Mark Giordano attended practice this morning and is ready to return to the team after taking a personal leave to mourn the death of his father, per Keefe. However, he’ll only draw into the lineup Tuesday against the Golden Knights if Timothy Liljegren, now listed as day-to-day with an undisclosed injury sustained in Saturday’s comeback win over the Avalanche, cannot play. Giordano, 40, has seven points and a +6 rating in 36 games this season but has been surpassed on the depth chart by intended AHL depth signings like Simon Benoit and William Lagesson, the former of which has solidified himself as a bonafide top-six defender even with all players healthy. Liljegren showed dependability in a top-four role during Morgan Rielly’s recent five-game suspension, is averaging a career-high 19:27 per game, and has 16 points and a +6 rating in 40 appearances.
  • Also on LTIR at the moment is winger Calle Järnkrok, who Keefe says is making progress in his recovery from a fractured knuckle and will likely return to being a full participant in practice next week. His return won’t come until close to the deadline, but they’re getting by without him for now thanks to improving play from depth scorers such as Tyler Bertuzzi, Max Domi and Bobby McMann. The 32-year-old had 10 goals and 19 points in 46 games before getting injured, and he’s now missed over a month, last playing on Jan. 24.

Maple Leafs To Activate Timothy Liljegren Off LTIR

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The Maple Leafs will welcome back an important part of their back end tonight against Pittsburgh as defenseman Timothy Liljegren told reporters including David Alter of The Hockey News (Twitter link) that he’s ready to suit up, meaning Toronto will be activating him off LTIR.

The 24-year-old has missed the last six weeks with a lower-body injury sustained against Boston in early November.  Before being injured, he was averaging over 19 minutes a night, the highest ATOI of his young career while he was seeing a fair bit of action in Toronto’s top four.

Offensively, he has been limited to just one assist but he also has 18 blocked shots and was averaging close to two minutes per night on the penalty kill before the injury.  The Maple Leafs will certainly be happy to have a more defensive-oriented presence in their lineup.  Postmedia’s Lance Hornby adds (Twitter link) that Liljegren could be partnered with Morgan Rielly tonight on the top pairing so he’ll be put into a big role quickly.  That said, with T.J. Brodie (illness) listed as questionable, those pairings could be tweaked.

In order for Toronto to officially activate Liljegren off LTIR, they will first need to open up the cap space to do so.  Today’s recall of Pontus Holmberg means they will be over the cap if they try to activate Liljegren.

They do have some options to get cap-compliant though.  The easiest one is to send a defenseman down (one of Simon Benoit, Maxime Lajoie, or William Lagesson) which would get them just enough room.  If Ryan Reaves is going to be out for more than ten games and 24 days, he could be placed on LTIR which would give them more than enough room to activate Liljegren.  Alternatively, they could transfer Mark Giordano to LTIR retroactively; he’d be eligible to return on December 23rd in that scenario.  However, he is skating and if they feel he’s ready to return before then, that might not be the best route to go.  Either way, a roster move will be coming in order to get Liljegren in the lineup tonight.

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