Liljegren revealed he was told to move the puck quicker but noted the tough competition on the blue line.
Timothy Liljegren was cooking dinner at home when Toronto Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving called to inform him of his trade to the San Jose Sharks.
"I was excited. Young team, lots of talent, so it's been a little stressful since that call with packing all my stuff and the flight and everything, but happy to be here and I'm excited."
Liljegren was traded to San Jose in exchange for 30-year-old defenseman Matt Benning, a 2025 third-round pick, and a 2026 sixth-round draft pick. The move had been anticipated, with Liljegren falling out of favor following training camp.
The 25-year-old defenseman was limited to just one of Toronto's first 10 games.
But did he feel he was given a fair shot with the Leafs?
"I don't know. I mean, we had a lot of competition, like a lot of good D, and things didn't really go the way I wanted in camp," Liljegren said in a Zoom call with reporters on Thursday. "I didn't really play my best hockey in the year. So, um, I wasn't happy with how I was playing. I'm happy to be here and kind of get some confidence back and get back to playing."
Liljegren will have plenty of opportunity with a rebuilding Sharks team built around 2024 NHL first-round pick Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith. He'll also reconnect with former Toronto Marlies teammate Carl Grundstrom and former Maple Leafs teammate Cody Ceci.
Liljegren had signed a two-year extension worth $3 million, but speculation about his future circulated both before and after his signing.
In an interview with The Hockey News on Wednesday, Liljegren shared that he had been in discussions with new head coach Craig Berube about what he could do to get back into the lineup.
What advice did he receive?
"It was just like moving the puck quicker, but it's all good," Liljegren said. "It was a tough month, for sure. But, uh, I thought I did a good job of practicing hard and staying in shape."
Although he signed for two years at $6 million, the Leafs have already paid Liljegren $2.4 million in signing bonus and over $110,000 in salary during his time with Toronto, leaving the Sharks with a reduced financial commitment despite his $3 million cap hit.