Toronto Maple Leafs superstar center Auston Matthews took the ice for the club's optional morning skate on Saturday. But when will he return to game action? In a move that seemed bound to happen, Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving traded defenseman Timothy Liljegren to the San Jose Sharks [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/san-jose-sharks/] on October 30. Almost two weeks later, Treliving addressed the decision following the team’s Monday practice at Ford Performance Centre, shedding light on the circumstances that led to Liljegren’s departure. “Well, if you look at the numbers, Lily, it was two-fold,” Treliving explained. “We were at eights and nines – the performances of some guys at camp and the start of the season – and then, ultimately, to give him an opportunity. He was sitting out for a while. It was a tough market to find guys; like you saw (Dante) Fabbro on waivers yesterday. “But ultimately, like I said, he’d been sitting out for a while and we had some guys that put themselves ahead of him. I just felt that it was the right time and wanted to give Timmy an opportunity.” [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NqAKwi67QAs[/embed] In the trade, the Leafs added a conditional 2025 third-round pick, a 2026 sixth-round pick, and right-handed defenseman Matt Benning. This was the latest move for the Leafs as they sought to balance the roster amidst ongoing injury management and tough competition among the defensemen. Liljegren, who had signed a two-year, $6 million contract [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs/latest-news/report-maple-leafs-and-timothy-liljegren-agree-to-two-year-6-million-extension] with the Leafs in the offseason, found himself in a challenging situation after he got off on the wrong foot in training camp, which spiraled into a series of roster changes that reshuffled the team’s lineup priorities. Reflecting on his time with the Leafs, the 25-year-old acknowledged the struggle to stay positive while fighting for a spot on the roster on the day of the trade. "We're competitive and we want to play, obviously. So, it's a battle mentally to stay positive, but that's what I'm going to do," Liljegren said. His lone appearance this season came in a game against the Los Angeles Kings, where he logged 13:55 of ice time and blocked two shots. But for the most part, Liljegren had been skating in practice as the seventh or eighth defenseman, unable to break into the main rotation consistently. With Jani Hakanpaa nearing his return from long-term injured reserve (LTIR) and drawing back into the roster as well, it added another layer to the situation. The defenseman was brought into the organization when he was selected by the Maple Leafs with the 17th overall pick in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft. He had spent his entire NHL career with the Toronto organization, split between the AHL's Toronto Marlies and in the NHL with the Maple Leafs. The former first-round pick helped the Marlies win their first Calder Cup in the 2017-18 season. In six seasons at the NHL level, Liljegren played in 210 regular season and postseason games combined, recording 14 goals, 52 assists, and 65 points. For Liljegren, it’s clear that the transaction was an opportunity to find a more consistent role. After spending much of the season in the press box and behind other defensemen in Toronto, this move gave him a chance to secure regular playing time and offer a green light to further develop his game while regaining his confidence. Since joining the Sharks, Liljegren has appeared in four games, still in search of recording his first point with the organization. Over those four contests in San Jose, he’s averaged 19:02 of total ice time – the second most of his career.
