Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Timothy Liljegren skates at Practice Ahead of Season Debut Toronto Maple Leafs forward Nicolas Aube-Kubel skated as an extra defenseman at practice on Friday. If that wasn't enough of an indication that the forward wasn't in Toronto's immediate future, the club confirmed it when they placed him on waivers on Friday. According to TSN's Chris Johnston, the Maple Leafs have made Aube-Kubel available via trade but there have been no takers as of this writing. "He had a much shorter offseason than everybody else in our building but that can only last for so long, you need to take advantage of what's there," Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe said of Aube-Kubel before Toronto's 5-2 win against the Philadelphia Flyers. Aube-Kubel won the Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche in June. He signed a one-year, $1 million contract with the Maple Leafs in July. Toronto Maple Leafs GM Kyle Dubas told reporters in the summer that Keefe identified Aube-Kubel as someone who can help offset the speed lost in the depth players like Ilya Mikheyev. Aube-Kubel has no points this season and played the first five games of the regular season on the right wing of Zach Aston-Reese and David Kampf [https://www.si.com/nhl/maple-leafs/news/maple-leafs-line-tracker-2022-23-season]. He has been a healthy scratch for five out of the last six games. "It didn't go well for him and how we were using him," Keefe said. "It just hasn't quite happened here for him." With Timothy Liljegren set to be activated from long-term injured reserve, it's like the Leafs would send Aube-Kubel down to the Marlies if he clears waivers at 2 p.m. ET on Saturday to make room from the defenseman on the active roster.
