Liljegren has appeared in one game for the Maple Leafs after an underwhelming training camp.
Timothy Liljegren has found it difficult to crack the Toronto Maple Leafs' lineup early this year.
The 25-year-old defenseman has played in just one game since the beginning of the regular season, on Toronto's third pair against the LA Kings on Oct 16, where he had 13:55 of ice time.
It's the least amount of minutes among defensemen on the Maple Leafs' roster, aside from Philippe Myers, who'll make his Maple Leafs debut on Saturday against the Boston Bruins, replacing Conor Timmins in the lineup.
A huge game against Boston could've been Liljegren's opportunity to prove he can be an important defender for Toronto. Instead, he'll again be watching with a birds-eye view from the press box.
When asked about Liljegren on Saturday morning, Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube said it's difficult to give everyone an opportunity with the amount of defensemen they have.
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"Well, I mean, right now it's a little bit of a numbers game. I know I threw him in there for a game. And it's hard with one game," Berube said.
"I mean, he's got to be patient right now. I mean, that's just the way it is. We make decisions as a staff in an organization of what we feel is best at the time. So he's working on his game. He's working, and he'll get another opportunity."
In Liljegren's one game against the Kings, he had an 8.70 CF% and a 6.38 xGF% at five-on-five, according to NaturalStatTrick.com. When you put that together with his underwhelming training camp, you can understand that the defenseman is fighting it right now.
"I tried my best, but it didn’t go my way, so I’ve just been trying to come in and work hard," Liljegren said about his training camp on Oct. 14.
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Earlier in the season, reports surfaced that the Maple Leafs were searching for a new home for Liljegren, given his lack of playing time. However, shortly after those reports, more information surfaced, which suggested Toronto isn't in any rush to trade the defenseman.
"I try not to think about it. I’m not really on social media that much so I don’t see a lot of stuff," Liljegren said when asked about speculation of his future. "If something happens, it happens, but I’m just coming in and working hard."
Before Liljegren's season debut, Berube said he wanted to see the defenseman's puck movement display. And while there were flashes of the strengths in his game against LA, it appeared to be more of the same struggles from the Swede.
It's unknown when the defenseman will get back into the Maple Leafs' lineup, but one thing is clear: He has to make the most of his opportunity next time he steps onto the ice in game action for Toronto.
"He has ability, right? Skating, moving the puck, and things like that. He should be a good puck mover. It's just about him managing his game and managing his puck movement and making good decisions with it, not risky ones. Just simplify," Berube said ahead of Liljegren's season debut on Oct. 16.
"And then you gotta win your battles, right? As a defenceman, it's important that you're defending well and you're strong in your net front and you're winning those board battles and corner battles and things like that. He's gotta do that."