As rumors swirl round Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Timothy Liljegren, Jonathan Larivee of Hockey Feed talked about the likelihood of a commerce thought with the newly established Utah Hockey Membership. Because the preseason, Liljegren’s title has often surfaced in commerce discussions, significantly as head coach Craig Berube appears to favor a special defensive type that doesn’t align with Liljegren’s ability set. The younger defenseman has been scratched for a lot of the season, prompting hypothesis that the Leafs may look to maneuver him on a extra everlasting foundation. Sadly, Utah is coping with accidents to key defensemen, opening up the door for a deal.
Each John Marino and Sean Durzi are anticipated to be out for an prolonged interval, with NHL insider Elliotte Friedman reporting on Monday’s 32 Ideas podcast that Durzi’s absence might prolong as much as 4 or 5 months. Marino’s state of affairs isn’t as extreme, however he’s additionally not anticipated to return quickly. With each key gamers out of motion, Utah may look to discover a appropriate alternative.
Friedman means that different groups might see Utah’s predicament as a possibility to barter favorable trades and this may be a possibility for the Leafs to unload Liljegren as a cap financial savings play, with out having to surrender a sweetener to take action.
Would Utah Tackle Liljegren in a Commerce with the Maple Leafs?
Some will argue that Liljegren is a greater participant than somebody who must be dumped in a cap-clearing commerce, however his lack of sticking within the lineup and his contract, which carries a cap hit of $3 million per season for the following two years, could pose challenges for potential suitors beneath the NHL wage cap. Cap house is just not a difficulty for Utah. And, as a result of they may be in dire want of a defenseman, this situation makes some sense.
The Maple Leafs, looking for to dump Liljegren, might discover a prepared commerce companion in Utah. A deal might present mutual advantages, permitting Toronto to clear cap house whereas giving Utah the defensive depth they desperately want. As Friedman aptly famous, “The vultures begin circling,” indicating {that a} commerce could possibly be on the horizon.
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