Utah Hockey Club Blows 3-Goal Lead in Loss to San Jose Sharks, Time to Call the Toronto Maple Leafs?

PUBLICATION

Daniel Lucente
October 29, 2024 (10:55)

SHARE THIS STORY

The Utah Hockey Club are dealing with a tremendous amount of injuries and it's starting to show in their loss to the Sharks. Time to trade for Timothy Liljegren?

The season is becoming a huge challenge for the Utah Hockey Club even though they got off to a hot start. Missing two of their starting defensemen out due to long-term injuries, it's a rough road ahead for the first-year club. Sean Durzi is out for up to five months, and John Marino will possibly miss most of the season, devastating their defensive corps.

Injuries such as these create a difficult situation for a team still finding its place in the league. Now with a gut-wrenching late-game collapse against the previously winless San Jose Sharks, the pressure builds for GM Bill Armstrong to find solutions. Quite apparently, firming up the defense is the first order of business if the Utah Hockey Club hopes to remain competitive in the race for a playoff spot.

One possible move could be trading for Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Timothy Liljegren. A 2017 first-rounder, Liljegren has some flashes of brilliance but not enough ice time during his time with the Maple Leafs.

After playing in just one game this year, and carrying a $3 million cap hit, a fresh start could be what he needs to break out. He will find an ideal opportunity in the young roster of Utah, but with that in mind, it seems unlikely that Liljegren could fully replace Durzi's contributions. His right-handed shot and potential to log more minutes, while also being more than competent defensively, might be exactly what Utah needs on their blue line.

On the other side of the potential trade, Toronto could look to strengthen their depth at center courtesy of Nick Bjugstad from Utah. A seasoned NHL centerman, Bjugstad would be an ideal fit for Toronto's third line.

With their convincing win against the undefeated Winnipeg Jets, the Toronto top six are set with Matthew Knies, Auston Matthews, and Mitch Marner on the first line, and filling in their second line with Max Pacioretty, John Tavares, and William Nylander, but what would elevate that roster even more is a reliable and strong two-way third-line center, and that's what Bjugstad brings to the table. Combining size, experience, and value on both offense and defense, Bjugstad gives the Leafs more depth to roll out a Bobby McMann, Max Domi, and Bjugstad line which could be a potential game-changing line if they can get things going.

Losing Nick Bjugstad would be a tough blow for Utah, as he creates stability for the middle of this forward group. Still, a gaping hole on defense will prove too much to disregard no matter their lack of forward depth, especially when expecting the team to be out there pushing toward the playoffs. It might be finally time to address that this young star-filled core within the Utah roster requires added blue-line support.

This is a potential trade that would serve both teams well. The Toronto Maple Leafs firm up their center depth with someone like Nick Bjugstad, who fits perfectly into the bottom six. The Utah Hockey Club addresses a key need on defense with a very promising young blue-liner in Timothy Liljegren.

Since neither team is definitely guaranteed a win, but neither a loss with this trade, both franchises could significantly improve key areas and therefore make this trade a logical option for both sides as they journey towards their respective journey to the Stanley Cup.