Timothy Liljegren's Heartfelt Message to Maple Leafs Fans After Trade to San Jose Sharks

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Chris Gerics
October 30, 2024 (11:09 PM)

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The Toronto Maple Leafs and Timothy Liljegren may not have had the best relationship, but the defenseman was gracious; thanking the fans and team.

It was a bittersweet moment for Timothy Liljegren, as the defenseman was traded on Wednesday from the Maple Leafs to the San Jose Sharks for a package including defenseman Matt Benning and two draft picks:

It ends a dramatic tenure with Liljegren that was filled with equal parts hype and disappointment. Since being drafted 17th overall for the Maple Leafs, Liljegren has shown small flashes of brilliance but has never been able to impress either of his former coaches. It's not for a lack of talent, as Liljegren can contribute, it just wasn't his time in Toronto for one reason or another.

But for as much frustration that Liljegren felt being left off the roster sheet most nights and not given a chance to shine, it seems the Swedish defenseman was very grateful for his time in Toronto, and regardless of how things turned out; he enjoyed the ride:

"Thank you Toronto for making my dream of playing in the NHL true. I'll always hold Toronto close to my heart and loved every minute of my 7 years in the organization! Have met amazing people and have made friends that'll last a lifetime. 💙

With that said. I'm excited to join the Sharks organization."

Excited he should be, as San Jose will no doubt give him every opportunity to prove himself as a capable Top-4 defenseman in the NHL. Both offensively and defensively gifted, Liljegren was never able to really get it together for the Maple Leafs.

Given the rebuilding Sharks have more than enough room for him, he will presumably slide into Benning's old spot alongside Jack Thompson, however, they could also move Jan Rutta to the third pairing with Thompson and put Liljegren with Mario Ferraro. San Jose has a few ways to work with their new defenseman, and he's sure to flourish on the West Coast.

Toronto benefits from Liljegren's $3M contract dump as they await Jani Hakanpaa, Connor Dewar, and now Benning's salary to come into play. It may be the first move that could cause a domino effect that sends other players out of Toronto such as David Kampf or even Nick Robertson.

It wasn't the end that Timothy Liljegren probably envisioned after he was drafted by the Maple Leafs, however, it's not the end of his NHL career; far from it. Now he gets a real shot to prove he belongs, and he's grateful for all the positive and negative experiences so far into his brief career.