The restricted free agent defenseman was seen working out with his offseason coach in an Instagram story posted by Hockeyfit and Performance.
The restricted free agent defenseman was seen working out with his offseason coach in an Instagram story posted by Hockeyfit and Performance.
Though the hockey season has been over for well over a month for the Toronto Maple Leafs, the grind doesn’t stop for restricted free agent Timothy Liljegren, who was seen working out with his offseason coach in an Instagram story posted by Hockeyfit and Performance.
Liljegren has been working out with the same training staff in Sweden for some years now and every offseason they have been sharing Instagram posts of the Swede.
The 25-year-old is coming off a rocky 2023-24 campaign and is seemingly already putting in the work to get back to where he wants to be. Liljegren looks determined to find his step again early in the offseason.
Liljegren played in six out of the seven postseason games in the club’s opening-round series loss to the Boston Bruins, being scratched for T.J. Brodie one game into the matchup. As a restricted free agent concluding a two-year contract extension with a cap hit of $1.4 million, the Leafs need to decide on the future of the right-handed defenseman. Unlike the last time around, the defenseman is eligible for arbitration and the Leafs will have to tender him a qualifying offer to retain his rights.
Playing in 55 regular season games, scoring three goals paired with 20 assists, the former first-round (17th overall) pick struggled to find his footing in 2023-24 after battling a high-ankle sprain in November and stated in February: “I don’t feel like I’m at the top of my game. I’m struggling with it right now," Liljegren said. "I’m trying to grind through it and hopefully find my groove again."
Still, months later, there is uncertainty regarding the direction the team should pursue with optimism that Liljegren can turn into something significant in due time. The organization has already invested in two contracts worth a total value of $6.775 million for his services since 2017.
If he were to stay put in Toronto, it can be expected it would be some sort of bridge deal with a pay bump. As a youthful right-handed defenseman, which the backend is in desperate need of, signing Liljegren at his current value could turn out to be a fantastic decision. According to AFP Analytics, a site used as a projection tool for free agents, they are predicting a four-year $16.40 million contract with a cap hit of $4.1 million a season for the Swede.
If the Leafs bring him back and remain patient, he could become of tremendous value. Though they may bet on Liljegren once more, without immediate tremendous steps to growth, a reasonable trade seems to be a possibility as well.
The Leafs are reportedly looking to add to their defensive depth this season and it will be interesting to see where Liljegren lands in all of this.
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