Toronto Maple Leafs: Timothy Liljegren impressive in rookie tournament opener
In a warmup before training camp, Timothy Liljegren showed the Toronto Maple Leafs his potential in the rookie tournament opener.
At the NHLPA Rookie Showcase, Timothy Liljegren said his goal heading into training camp was to try and make the Toronto Maple Leafs. It didn’t take long for people to say there is no reason to rush the young defenceman and there’s justification for that.
It is tough to expect a 19-year-old defenceman to make such a leap after only one season in the AHL but at the same time, there was a reason Toronto selected him 17th overall in the 2017 NHL draft.
Liljegren and the Leafs might have dropped the rookie tournament opener in overtime against the Ottawa Senators, but the score is never the sole focus of these games.
For some players, this is the opportunity to get accustomed to the Leafs’ system before training camp and for others, it’s a chance to gain valuable experience towards their development.
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Last year, Liljegren struggled in his first game of the rookie tournament which was expected, given the adjustments he needed to make to the North American game and not playing a lot in his draft year.
Against the Senators, Liljegren took the training wheels off and made his presence known.
He didn’t make many glaring mistakes, was moving the puck effectively, was noticeable as the quarterback on the powerplay, and played on the penalty kill.
Another area that Liljegren showed improvement was his skating where he showed more explosiveness in his stride, especially when he carried the puck around the net.
Those are noticeable improvements, but whether it will be enough to give him a chance when he gets to training camp remains to be seen. That’s why it might be a better option to have him play important minutes with the Marlies and if he does enough to warrant a promotion, that’s something the team can address when the time is right.
Jeremy Bracco was another player who had a noticeable impact, because there aren’t many players who display the vision he does with the puck. He made several great passes that resulted in some easy goals for his linemates.
Many were looking forward to seeing Rasmus Sandin and Semyon Der-Arguchintsev (also known as SDA) and both showed why they are intriguing prospects for the Leafs going forward.
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What did you think about the Leafs’ performance in the opener of the rookie tournament? Who stood out and what do you want to see in the final game against Montreal? Let us know in the comments below.