Maple Leafs Defenseman Timothy Liljegren Seen Training in Latest Instagram Story Amid Uncertainty as Restricted Free Agent
Liljegren was back in the gym Thursday with his offseason coach in an Instagram story posted by Hockeyfit and Performance.
Despite the outside noise this time of year, Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman and pending restricted free agent Timothy Liljegren is tuning it out and focusing on what he can control – getting in the best shape he can.
On Thursday, Liljegren was yet again seen putting in the work with his offseason training staff in an Instagram story posted by Hockeyfit and Performance.
In the video with the song “All I Do Is Win” by DJ Khaled playing under it, Liljegren is spotted picking up speed to an eventual sprint on a treadmill. This isn’t the first we’ve seen of Liljegren this summer, as the clip surfaced nine days removed from the last video we saw of the Swede, who has been with the same fitness program and training staff for numerous years. The account shares images and videos throughout every offseason of Liljegren prepping for the upcoming hockey season.
The 25-year-old had a bumpy 2023-24 campaign but looks to be focused on getting better and taking the necessary steps to do so. The former first-round (17th overall) pick played in 55 regular season games in which he found the back of the net three times while adding 20 assists in a season riddled with struggles. After suffering a high-ankle sprain in November and having difficulty in finding his “groove again” in February, Liljegren never truly resurfaced back to the top of his game in his fifth NHL season.
Liljegren concluded a two-year contract extension with a cap hit of $1.4 million and is eligible for arbitration with the Leafs needing to tender him a qualifying offer to retain his rights. With all the question marks on the blueline this offseason, it’s unclear where Liljegren fits in all of this. General manager Brad Treliving will be in search of adding a top-tier defenseman or two, and it was recently reported that there hasn’t been much dialogue between the two parties regarding Liljegren’s future in the blue and white.
Liljegren may stay on a bridge deal with a pay bump but the organization has already invested in two contracts worth a total value of $6.775 million for his services since 2017 – and it’s uncertain whether the team will opt to give him another deal.
Still, there is optimism that Liljegren has plenty of upside as a young, right-handed defenseman who has had brief experience in a top-four role with a contending team. According to AFP Analytics, they are predicting a four-year $16.40 million contract with a cap hit of $4.1 million a season for the Swede. Only time will tell in the direction the team opts to take, but with little clarity regarding the situation currently, the blurriness should start to clear up after July 1.
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