Toronto Maple Leafs: Timothy Liljegren setting sights on making team
With openings on the Toronto Maple Leafs, Timothy Liljegren is looking to turn heads when training camp starts.
A year after making the jump from Sweden to North America, Timothy Liljegren has his sights set on making the Toronto Maple Leafs out of camp.
With a lot of the discussion about the Leafs blueline going into this season, it would be a bonus if a prospect like Liljegren can take a step in his development.
There was no expectation for him to do it last season, as he just made the move to North America and missed most of his draft year with mono. He showed his ability to adjust to the smaller ice surface, but admits it took time for him to adapt to it at first.
Luckily for him, the Toronto Marlies were the best team in the AHL and had the benefit of moving players in and out of the lineup so that Liljegren wouldn’t be thrown into the fire.
More from Toronto Maple Leafs
- Maple Leafs Rumours: Half of NHL teams interested in Ilya Mikheyev
- Toronto Maple Leafs: How to address the goaltender position
- Leafs reward Timothy Liljegren with extension after breakout season
- Maple Leafs: Jack Campbell situation becoming increasingly uncertain
- Jason Spezza retires, joins Toronto Maple Leafs front office
What also helped is the number of players from Sweden that were on the team, including Andreas Johnsson, Andreas Borgman, Calle Rosen, Pierre Engvall, Dmytro Timashov and Carl Grundstrom. It is never easy for a young player to make a big move at 18-years-old, but having a large contingent of Swedes made it more comfortable.
As for his approach in the offseason, obviously building up his strength was at the top of his priority list, but being with the Marlies helped him set his goals for this upcoming season.
"“Last year was a good year for me to develop in a good environment, the Marlies is a good place for developing players,” said Liljegren at the NHLPA Rookie Showcase on Sunday. “This summer I focused on getting bigger strong and faster while enjoying my time off.”“With us having a short summer, it’s tough to get stronger, it’s more about keeping your body fit and focusing on the small details like developing my speed and core strength so that I can be strong around the corners.”"
There’s certainly no expectation for the 19-year-old to crack the Leafs lineup, considering most defencemen take longer to develop their game to the NHL level. Some have the physical tools and others have the skill.
Travis Dermott told Sportsnet 590 The FAN back in May that his Marlie teammate isn’t far off because of his skill set, but needed to work on his strength.
This is why Liljegren’s confidence is based on what he’s seen from his Marlies teammates who have taken the next step, and he now wants to show he’s ready as well.
"“I’m going to try to take a spot on the roster which I know is a tough challenge but I’m going in with the mindset to take a spot,” Liljegren said about his goal heading into training camp. “We’ll see how it goes but last year was more of a learning experience for me and I’m more prepared for what’s going to happen.”"
Even if he doesn’t make the team, Liljegren should benefit from playing in the AHL again and if he shows enough progress, there’s no reason why he can’t be a potential call-up like Dermott was.
dark. Next. Considerable gap between team and Nylander
What do you think about Liljegren’s goal to try and make the Leafs? Is it too early for him or should he be given every opportunity? Let us know in the comments below.