Reporter Reveals The Perfect Timothy Liljegren Replacement

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Dawson Mckenzie
October 29, 2023 (2:24 PM)

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This reporter may have just revealed the perfect replacement for Timothy Liljegren, as the Leafs struggle with defensive depth due to ongoing injuries.

Reporter Thinks Leafs Should Call up Lajoie in Liljegren Absense

In a recent YouTube video, Nick Barden revealed why he thinks the Leafs should call up Max Lajoie from the Marlies to fill the gap left by Timothy Liljegren. He believes that Lajoie's experience in the number of games played is a huge factor.

One of the reasons why I think Max Lajoie will get the call-up over Simon Benoit is the games played factor. Benoit has only played a couple of games with the Marlies since preseason, where he played plenty of games. Lajoie has played a lot of minutes with the Toronto Marlies, playing in their top 4. He's also been a big guy on their powerplay. You lose a guy like Liljegren and you can insert a guy like Lajoie. Lajoie has played the top Powerplay with the Marlies, and he has looked good all over the ice

Lajoie and Benoit Will Battle for Leafs Roster Time

With the injuries, it's obvious the Leafs will need to bolster their depth defensively, which is a huge opportunity for both Lajoie and Benoit. While both have yet to record a point in the AHL this year, they each have their own advantages that they bring to the table.

Topi Niemela buries his first of the season off a nice feed from Zach Solow. Also, what a pass from Max Lajoie to find Dmitry Ovchinnikov up ice to begin the sequence.

#Marlies up 1-0 over Charlotte in the first period.

While Barden detailed Lajoie's games played the upper hand, there is an argument that Benoit will get called up based on last year's games played. Benoit played 78 games in the NHL last year. This, compared to Lajoie's 3 games played, makes it look like Benoit should be the call-up.

Dylan Gambrell finds Simon Benoit out front for an early scoring chance for the #Marlies.

We will await the Leafs' future announcement to get a better look at the potential defensive lineup for their next game Tuesday against the Kings.