Player Discussion How overpaid is Timothy Liljegren?

[Ianturnedbull]

$1,400,000 seems pretty steep for someone who is on his way to being a healthy scratch in the playoffs.

The guy is really taking it on the chin these days with fans and media (Sportnet & TSN).

Is he overpaid or is he a league minimum RHD?

Do you see a defenseman of the future for TOR here?

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[arso40]

$1,400,000 seems pretty steep for someone who is on his way to being a healthy scratch in the playoffs.

The guy is really taking it on the chin these days with fans and media (Sportnet & TSN).

Is he overpaid or is he a league minimum RHD?

Do you see a defenseman of the future for TOR here?

You gotta be killing me with a thread like this my friend

 

[Stephen]

He’s not overpaid, he’s just stagnating in his progression towards being a top 4 reliable defenseman.

 

[Darcy Tucker]

He's not overpaid he's just under performing. Getting injured must have affected him psychologically because he's not even the same player as last year.

 

[thewave]

$1,400,000 seems pretty steep for someone who is on his way to being a healthy scratch in the playoffs.

The guy is really taking it on the chin these days with fans and media (Sportnet & TSN).

Is he overpaid or is he a league minimum RHD?

Do you see a defenseman of the future for TOR here?

We're all taking it on the chin with the Keefe anti-development system. Same as Dubas chewing through temp solutions and never doing meaningful things to build a cohesive team.

If I were BT I would be looking around MLSE and saying I am surrounded by idiots. There is no way Shanahan didnt promise to keep the band together. No other explanation.

Lilgrin will be another wasted high level prospect that gets shipped and becomes a solid defender.... In TB or Boston or LA.

 

[ACC1224]

Tribute - Timothy Liljegren part 2

No one commenting on his brilliant bank pass that led to the only goal? Who cares when he gets pushed around like a ragdoll Not to mention struggles immensely playing defence against good teams, he can be a good defensemen against bottom feeders though

forums.hfboards.com

 

[Roo]

In an 82 game season, there will be ups and downs. The last 5 games or so don’t define Liljegren.

 

[francis246]

He’s not overpaid, he’s just stagnating in his progression towards being a top 4 reliable defenseman.

I think this is pretty much who Liljegren is. Probably a bottom pairing guy who can jump up into the top 4 depending on the match up. Still has some room to grow into a consistent top 4 guy. But the lack of Physicality from him is what is going to stop him from taking that jump. Would love to see him take the next step eventually

In an 82 game season, there will be ups and downs. The last 5 games or so don’t define Liljegren.

In fairness this has been a consistent theme with Liljegren throughout his entire leafs run so far. Every March/April he starts playing awful and he’s not useable in the playoffs. I like that this year they are giving him a chance to prove it whereas in past they just pushed him out.

 

[Stephen]

I think this is pretty much who Liljegren is. Probably a bottom pairing guy who can jump up into the top 4 depending on the match up. Still has some room to grow into a consistent top 4 guy. But the lack of Physicality from him is what is going to stop him from taking that jump. Would love to see him take the next step eventually

He seems like one of those guys who might get cast off by his first NHL team, land somewhere else and then blossom into a good defenseman. Some guys seem to need to be kicked to the curb before they snap into it. Hopefully that’s not the case but it wouldn’t surprise me to see him develop elsewhere like a Stralman or a Forsling.

 

[Green Snow Storm]

In an 82 game season, there will be ups and downs. The last 5 games or so don’t define Liljegren.

Certainly not, but he sat last year when it mattered, and he's likely going to sit again. You want that guy defending the net front against Florida or Boston? Knowing the prototype Trelving likes I think Liljegren's days here are running thin.

 

[I am Canadian]

This management group has done too much to us to make us discuss how a guy making 650K more than minimum is overpaid

 

[CincoHolio]

He's kinda vanilla if you ask me.

 

[Darcy Tucker]

I'm taking Benoit over Liljegren in the lineup for a playoff series. Edmundson can play the right side.

 

[francis246]

We're all taking it on the chin with the Keefe anti-development system. Same as Dubas chewing through temp solutions and never doing meaningful things to build a cohesive team.

If I were BT I would be looking around MLSE and saying I am surrounded by idiots. There is no way Shanahan didnt promise to keep the band together. No other explanation.

Lilgrin will be another wasted high level prospect that gets shipped and becomes a solid defender.... In TB or Boston or LA.

Lol this doesn’t have anything to do with Keefe. This has to do with the Leafs draft strategy. What do you think is going to happen when you drafted skilled dmen with low compete level? They aren’t going to to turn out into top 4 players.

It was the same with Dermott, it was the same with Sandin and now we are seeing it with Liljegren. There has to be a balance between skill, compete level, drive, willingness to get into dirty areas and the defenseman they’ve drafted all have an insane amount of skill but they can’t move bodies in front of the net and they can’t handle a heavy forecheck. That’s on scouting, what is Keefe going to do about that?

The Dermott pick I never understood. We had Carlo sitting right there. Dermott was Rielly light.

Liljegren and Sandin I think they took the right players at those picks but they were just missing that extra ingredient to make them top 4 guys.

 

[GoonieFace]

Another how much is so and so overpaid thread.

Next, Can we do the guy that works at the concession stand between section 102-103? I mean, that guy just doesnt step up his game in the playoffs

 

[thewave]

Lol this doesn’t have anything to do with Keefe. This has to do with the Leafs draft strategy. What do you think is going to happen when you drafted skilled dmen with low compete level? They aren’t going to to turn out into top 4 players.

It was the same with Dermott, it was the same with Sandin and now we are seeing it with Liljegren. There has to be a balance between skill, compete level, drive, willingness to get into dirty areas and the defenseman they’ve drafted all have an insane amount of skill but they can’t move bodies in front of the net and they can’t handle a heavy forecheck. That’s on scouting, what is Keefe going to do about that?

The Dermott pick I never understood. We had Carlo sitting right there. Dermott was Rielly light.

Liljegren and Sandin I think they took the right players at those picks but they were just missing that extra ingredient to make them top 4 guys.

Lilgrin is a damn good player if developed right. Dermott was so dumb as almost everyone with knowledge said go with Aho.

I think Lilgrin is top 4 material and starting to get failed by a failed development system in Toronto

 

[francis246]

Lilgrin is a damn good player if developed right. Dermott was so dumb as almost everyone with knowledge said go with Aho.

Liljegren has been given so many opportunities to be a top 4 RHD and he has not taken it. You can blame Keefe all you want, but at some point Liljegren has to demonstrate he is capable of playing in the top 4 consistently. He legit just has to beat out Lubushkin?

As I've said, unless Liljegren develops some more physicality to his game, he isn't going to be a top 4 guy. You need to be able to handle a forecheck and clear the front of the net as a defenseman. He does neither of those two things well, that's not on coaching, that's on Liljegren's compete level.

 

[Ianturnedbull]

He seems like one of those guys who might get cast off by his first NHL team, land somewhere else and then blossom into a good defenseman. Some guys seem to need to be kicked to the curb before they snap into it. Hopefully that’s not the case but it wouldn’t surprise me to see him develop elsewhere like a Stralman or a Forsling.

I understand the sentiment, but Stralman was for the most part an average NHLer. 3 seasons scoring over 30 points is decent, but TOR as a franchise can't be losing sleep over that.

I mean think of all the players let go by this club who never made it. Travis Dermott seems to be rotting in AZ right now. Stuart Percy in a Czech League, etc.

OK TOR drafted Liljegren in the 1st round (#17 OA) and didn't "hit" on him. It's ok. If he reaches average some day are they really going to regret it?

 

[Gabriel426]

He seems like one of those guys who might get cast off by his first NHL team, land somewhere else and then blossom into a good defenseman. Some guys seem to need to be kicked to the curb before they snap into it. Hopefully that’s not the case but it wouldn’t surprise me to see him develop elsewhere like a Stralman or a Forsling.

Thats what I think too. It is not so a kick in the butt but more to do with rounding out their own games.
Thats why I think, it will benefit teams in the NHL if they have a loaning system like in Euro Football. Where a club can loan a player to another club(even if it is the same league), and the rights of that player is usually determine at the end of the loan. For example, Leafs can loan Lilly to the Ducks for a season, and by the end of the loan, both teams can decide what to do with Lilly.

 

[nuck]

Lets start one of the threads for every player someone doesn't like

 

[Roo]

In fairness this has been a consistent theme with Liljegren throughout his entire leafs run so far. Every March/April he starts playing awful and he’s not useable in the playoffs. I like that this year they are giving him a chance to prove it whereas in past they just pushed him out.

Yep, that is true… but did he actually deserve to sit last year? I certainly didn’t think so, but for some reason Keefe gave the opportunity to Holl instead.

Certainly not, but he sat last year when it mattered, and he's likely going to sit again. You want that guy defending the net front against Florida or Boston? Knowing the prototype Trelving likes I think Liljegren's days here are running thin.

Sure but the question is whether he is overpaid. I’m not sure how anyone can suggest that at $1.4m and almost 20 min per night he is. He seems to be hitting a wall right now for sure, and he appears to be plateauing in his development. However he is playing more minutes, and tougher minutes compared to last year.

I really just see Liljegren as a potential late bloomer. Sometimes you need to be VERY patient. Not sure the leafs have that patience given their window is now, and I can’t blame them.

 

[Ianturnedbull]

I am guessing that many fans on this board like him, yet many (maybe over 50%) were pleading to Tre to acquire a top 4 RHD. Wait! Don't we have one? Aren't many of you suggesting that he is one? Wouldn't you say his ceiling is a #6 D? At 1.4 million?

 

[al secord]

"Where do you get your ideas?"

 

[sxvnert]

Keefe will give him 2-3 weeks to eventually play his way out of the lineup. Benny will be in the post season.

 

[Maple Leaf]

It was a good gamble at the draft just didn't work out