Toronto Maple Leafs 2017 NHL Draft Preview: No. 8 Timothy Liljegren

As the Toronto Maple Leafs and the rest of the NHL prepare for the draft, we look at Timothy Lilkegren, a Swedish defender who has slipped in the rankings but is still a solid pickup.

The 2016 draft had several headlining players that controlled the main portion of the coverage in North America. This was particularly true north of the border, as the Toronto Maple Leafs and every other Canadian team failed to reach the playoffs.

This summer will be a different story. Further, there has been a lot of movement in the draft rankings over the course of the season.

On Saturday, we profiled Cale Makar. Today, we cover another defender, Timothy Liljegren, who is the eighth-ranked prospect on our board.

Liljegren was originally rated second in preliminary draft rankings. In his first season with Rogle BK of the SHL, he finished the season with only five points but kept his penalty minutes low.

This year, he missed the first two months of the season because of mono and didn’t make his season debut until mid-November. Liljegren finished the season with the exact same stats as 2015-16 (But bettered his plus-minus).

Just looking at the stats, the Swedish rearguard doesn’t jump off the board. However, look at his tape, and you’ll see what makes him a top-10 prospect and one of the best offensive defencemen in this draft.

Here’s what Future Considerations had to say about Liljegren:

"An active, offensive-minded rearguard who likes the puck on his stick…skates with strong fluidity and agility, getting from one point to the next effortlessly as his feet always seem to be in motion…can take the puck end-to-end a la Erik Karlsson…his offensive IQ is off the charts as is his creativity…makes strong breakout passes to move along the attack to his forwards before jumping into the play himself…has a strong wrist shot that is quick off his blade, strong and accurate, and he gets some solid velocity on his slap shot”"

After playing with Rogle, he finished the season with Swedish second-tier team Timra. Liljegren played for Sweden at the Under-18 World Championships.

Liljegren had two assists over seven games. Here are his highlights from the tournament:

With the rise of some other defenders in this draft, Liljegren has lost his place at the top of the pack. But his season still has him perched to be a nice pickup for a team selecting outside the top five.

Next: What can the Leafs learn from the Ducks & Predators?

What’s your take on Liljegren? Do you agree with the current projection that he will be drafted eighth overall, or is this too high or low? Further, what kind of career are you predicting for him in the NHL? Share your thoughts in the comments section.