NHL Trade Rumors: Oilers Had Talks About Acquiring Timothy Liljegren

The Edmonton Oilers reportedly considered acquiring defenseman Timothy Liljegren from the Toronto Maple Leafs to address their defensive struggles, according to Jeff Marek on Oilers Nation Everyday.

Marek shared that while there were "internal conversations" about adding Liljegren, it didn’t escalate to a formal inquiry.

Still, the Oilers saw him as a potential fit, given their need for a right-shot, second-pairing defenseman. “A couple of things I think are still very much on the wish list,” Marek explained, emphasizing the Oilers’ pursuit of “more speed up front and a second-pairing right-shot defenseman” to stabilize the lineup.

Timothy Liljegren says he was cooking dinner when he got a call from Brad Treliving that he had been traded. Said it's been a bit stressful packing his stuff to get ready to move but is excited about the opportunity in San Jose.
— David Alter (@dalter) October 31, 2024

The Oilers’ defense ranks near the bottom of the league in goals allowed, and their penalty kill has been a persistent issue.

Despite his ideal skill set for the Oilers, Liljegren was ultimately traded to the San Jose Sharks for a package of draft picks and former Oiler Matt Benning, a return that some believe Edmonton could have matched, raising questions about how aggressively GM Stan Bowman pursued the defenseman.

Marek’s comments suggest that the Oilers are working to address their needs, but missing out on Liljegren has left fans wondering if a key opportunity slipped by.