The Maple Leafs signed the defenseman to a two-year, $2.8 million contract in the offseason.
Timothy Liljegren will miss training camp with an injury, according to NorthStar Bets’ Chris Johnston.
The Maple Leafs defenseman signed a two-year, $2.8 million contact extension this summer after finally breaking through at the NHL level. In 61 games, Liljegren posted five goals and 23 points.
After bouncing around the lineup, he seemed to find a solid chemistry on the bottom pair alongside Mark Giordano. The Maple Leafs acquired Giordano from the Seattle Kraken one day before the NHL trade deadline. The club re-signed the Giordano to a two-year, $1.6 million contract just days after the team was eliminated by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round of the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
What does this mean for Rasmus Sandin?
With just one day to go until training camp begins, Sandin’s situation isn’t clear and it’s unlikely he’d report to training camp without a contract in hand, or one nearly agreed upon.
While Sandin plays on the left side, the injury to Liljegren (depending on the severity) could at least open up some cap room to bridge the gap in the negotiations. DailyFaceoff’s Frank Seravalli reports that forward Pierre Engvall will be out for the start of training camp. And while the severity of that injury is pending a re-evaluation, a lengthy injury could potentially create more space to get the job done.
The Leafs added some depth to the defense corps by signing Victor Mete and Jordie Benn to one-year contracts and it’s possible the team just elects to adopt the next-man-up should they hold firm.