A Potential Trade Between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Utah HC Could Save Brad Treliving $1M
Utah HC has scratched defenseman Juuso Valimaki for the second straight game, and a potential trade for the Maple Leafs' Timothy Liljegren may be in the works.
With the Utah HC already hurting on the defensive end, they were without another as they scratched Juuso Valimaki for their game against the San Jose Sharks. His presence could have been used though, as San Jose stormed back from down 4-1 to win the game 5-4 in overtime. It was a complete collapse for Utah, and things may need to change quickly in Salt Lake City.
Loaded with left-handed defensemen, the team could look to get themselves a righty to balance things out. One name floating around they should keep an eye on is the Toronto Maple Leafs' Timothy Liljegren who hasn't found a place in Toronto's lineup and is seeking greener pastures elsewhere and Toronto would love Valimaki to solidify their third pairing.
It seems counterintuitive for Utah to trade a defenseman when they have two key ones on the shelf, but Liljegren's right-handed shot as a defender is crucial for having a balanced defensive line for both offense and defense, and Utah should be more than happy to get rid of Valimaki. Toronto's GM already has a history with the defenseman, drafting him one spot ahead of Liljegren in the 2017 Draft, with the 16th pick. Fitting the Maple Leafs MO of big-bodied defenders, Valimaki alongside Simon Benoit or Jani Hakanpaa when he returns is a frightening duo.
For his career, Valimaki has 67 points in 236 games, which is nearly identical to Liljegren's 65 points in 197 games. While Liljegren is known as a more offensive option, Valimaki provides another fearless shot blocker for Toronto, eats up minutes, and is a decent producer on the powerplay; an area Toronto could always use improvement with. He also saves the Maple Leafs $1M in cap, being cheaper and a more suitable option for the team than Liljegren.
Digging into his analytics, on the powerplay his team's more often than not control the puck for the majority of the game, and given Toronto's need to consistently pelter goaltenders with shots, he's a necessary part of keeping the offense in the zone. He only averages 4.5 shots per game at 5-on-5 but on the PP it jumps dramatically to nearly 7.5 shots per game for his career; a number that given the right circumstances could lead to a lot more goal-scoring opportunities.
The Utah HC has a big hole they need to fill with a right-handed defenseman, and given they have the assets available to give up, they should give Brad Treliving a call and see if he wants to bring back an old friend, as he's done so many times previous.
