The Toronto Maple Leafs are in a peculiar position with a former first-round draft pick. Timothy Liljegren was the 17th overall pick in the 2017 NHL Draft. Liljegren is in his sixth season with the Maple Leafs but can't find his footing for a full-time lineup spot. He has been a healthy scratch for the season's first two games, and it looks like he has fallen out of favor with new head coach Craig Berube. The Maple Leafs are reportedly shopping for a trade partner to send the right-shot defenseman to a new home.
The Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs making a trade is highly unlikely. Their last trade was in 2018 when the Canadiens sent Tomas Plekanec to the blue and white for a fresh start and one last Stanley Cup run. Brad Treliving would expect the Canadiens to pay a premium to acquire Liljegren, but it's an avenue the Canadiens may want to explore.
How does Timothy Liljegren fit?
The Canadiens have plenty of depth on the left side of their defense. However, there are some question marks on the right side that Liljegren could answer. David Reinbacher will miss most of this season with a knee injury, which adds to a list of injuries for the young defenseman. Justin Barron has also been a disappointment through two games this season and has people questioning whether he can be the Habs' third-pairing defenseman.
The Canadiens must remember they have Logan Mailloux in the American Hockey League. Mailloux is determined to get to the NHL, as evidenced by his performance in the season opener against the Providence Bruins. Montreal could recall him to take Barron's spot, but that still leaves the problem of Kaiden Guhle playing his off-side. Liljegren would put Guhle back on the left side, and force the Canadiens to make a difficult decision.
Two options are to scratch Arber Xhekaj or trade Mike Matheson. Matheson has been a problem for the Canadiens this season, and the emergence of Lane Hutson could make him expendable. It feels like a pipedream that the Leafs would risk trading Liljegren to the Habs and having him become a star. However, Toronto's front office has a history of questionable moves. After all, they'll still employ Ryan Reaves for another two seasons.