Craig Berube and the Maple Leafs Set to Shake Up Lineup Ahead of Showdown with the Kings

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Chris Gerics
October 14, 2024 (12:48)

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The Toronto Maple Leafs are already shaking things up this season and in a surprising move, promoting Timothy Liljegren to the third D-pair ahead of Wednesday's game.

With Toronto riding a two game win-streak to already start the young season, many would think Craig Berube and company would be rolling out the same team even if they haven't had the best powerplay thus far. Many thought a change on that unit would be the answer, but it seems he is going a different route.

On Monday, Berube had disgruntled defenseman Timothy Liljegren skating on the third defensive pairing with Simon Benoit, leaving Conor Timmins as the odd man out skating with Phillippe Myers.

Liljegren getting the chance to play is two-fold. Firstly, it gives the Swedish defenseman a chance to play this season and help give Toronto more momentum in the early stages of the season. He's clearly chomping at the bit to play and prove himself that he deserves a spot on this team, and with a hot game he could earn more ice-time.

On the other hand, this is a perfect showcase for other teams to take a look at Liljegren who has been speculated to be part of a trade package, with teams such as Florida and Dallas interested in the 25-year old:

Liljegren has failed to impress Maple Leafs management since being drafted 17th overall, being a defensive liability and unable to show the offensive capabilities the team envisioned on draft night. He has 14 goals and 51 assists in 196 NHL games, and while he's shown flashes of brilliance, he hasn't been able to find that second gear and turn it up to Top-4 status. The additions of Chris Tanev, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, and Jani Hakanpaa shoved Liljegren deeper down the depth chart and signaled a clear shift in mentality for the Maple Leafs.

Timothy Liljegren will get a chance to show the Toronto Maple Leafs he belongs on their roster, but you can also be Toronto gets a chance to showcase a former first-round pick to any prospective buyers; a positive on both fronts for once.