Analysts Link 5 Teams To Maple Leafs' Timothy Liljegren

It's now apparent that Timothy Liljegren's time with the Toronto Maple Leafs will be coming to an end at some point this season. It's been reported that the team is open to discussing trade possibilities after the blueliner had fallen down the depth chart and was a healthy scratch in Toronto's first three games of the season.

His two-year, $3 million AAV contract signed this past summer is a factor to consider.

Adam Proteau of The Hockey News has proposed four potential trade destinations:

Anaheim Ducks
San Jose Sharks
St. Louis Blues
Philadelphia Flyers

The first two are rebuilding teams still a ways away, while the latter pair are clubs trying to get back to being true playoff contenders. As a 25-year-old, Liljegren would fit on any of them.

In the case of the Ducks and Sharks, both teams have the cap space whereby Liljegren's cap hit would not be an issue. He'd fit better on the Sharks as his path to playing time on the right side would be less onerous. Also, as Proteau notes, going from Toronto to one of these teams would get him "out of the glare and microscope that come with being in a hockey-mad market."

The Blues have already been tied to the Ducks' Cam Fowler, another trade candidate, but Liljegren represents a much younger and cheaper alternative, albeit much less accomplished. Nevertheless, the Leafs' D-man would slot right in on the third-pairing for St. Louis.

The Philly option would really only come into play if the Flyers were to deal potential trade candidate Rasmus Ristolainen.

One more obvious potential trade fit, as noted by The Athletic's Allan Mitchell, is a team that's known to already be looking for help on the blueline, the Edmonton Oilers.

The team is off to another disappointing start at 0-3-0, and has also been rumored to be considering two still-available unrestricted free agent defensemen.