Sportsnet: Frank Seravalli on the JD Bunkis Podcast when asked about Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Timothy Liljegren being the odd man out and if he has any trade value.
** NHLRumors.com transcription
Bunkis: “Not off to a good start for Timothy Liljegren. He’s on the outside looking in on the blue line. Like he might be this team’s now eighth defenseman, depending on how you look at it.
If he is on the trade block, what is his value as he carries that $3 million price tag?
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Seravalli: “Yeah, I’d say it’s it’s not incredibly high. That is problematic, I would think, in terms of a trade perspective. And even more problematic for a team that if he is on the outside looking in as a, as a healthy scratch. It’s certainly not a number you’d want him to be at.
And he’s sort of, you know, moved past this. Hey, this is a really exciting young guy that you know, he’s not in prospect stage anymore. So that part certainly complicates it.
And I think, more than anything, watching his game, it feels like a crisis of confidence. Like when he’s confident and he’s on, he’s completely serviceable and certainly has a role inside that leach top six. But I just, I don’t know where it went.
Yeah, I’ll just say he’s making 3 million bucks. And as of right now, they’re carrying 28 guys. With the LTIR stuff, they’ve been able to get $1 under the cap. But when everyone gets healthy, they’re going to be more than $4 million over.
And if you’re just looking at this as a like, yeah, simple math equation, he seems to be the easiest guy to move out. Like everybody points the (Calle) Yarnkrok and (David) Kampf. It’s like, yeah, you still got to even do more work after those guys if, if that was to even happen.
They also seem to be carrying, I would say, more utility with this roster, then Liljegren would be, especially if (Jani) Hakanpaa can stay healthy and they do, like Timmons more. I just, I wonder what the timeline is on this thing. Like, you can’t wait too long. Those guys come off LTIR, you got to make a move.
I would just assume that if they’re really not in on him, and they, they don’t see a place you’re on the roster, that they try to get it done as soon as they can get whatever the best offer is before they’re right up against that, that deadline for a cap change.
Seravalli: “Yeah, logic would dictate that for sure. And another reminder is this regime isn’t married to him the way that the previous regime might have been, because he’s not their pick.
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That really does mean something in the NHL, and it also begs a fair question of you know, watching Rasmus Sandin in Washington, did the Leafs, again previous regime, did they make the right choice on which younger defenseman they ended up moving on from.”