Timothy "Lillypad" Liljegren Discussion || UPD 1/14/2020 -- Recalled by the Leafs and returned

[Blue Nate]

Wicked article on Liljegren in the Athletic with video break-down on why he's NHL ready and why his game is gonna translate.

These types of articles are why I subscribe.

 

[stickty111]

Thanks to the other poster for mentioning this. Mitch Brown wrote a great article of Lilly is NHL ready. I will put in my own words.


Mitch said when Lilly was drafted, he was an offense first player with no defence. The turnaround since then has been amazing.
Lilly's best attributes are his decision making and defense. Lilly's off puck defence is terrific. He is aware of what's happening in the zone, and makes the right read on where the play is going. Lilly's on puck defence is also helpful to his team. He closes on players quickly which ends the play. He is also very good in loose puck recoveries. He takes routes to the puck that gives him escape options, while fighting for body position.

Lilly is above average in defending on the rush, but not quite as good as he is in the previous aspects. He is positionally strong and his mobility helps.
The issue with Lilly defending on the rush is that he gives too much respect to fast players. He backs into the zone and then tries to close the gap. While this will hurt him in the NHL at times, it's not a red flag or anything. He recovers well after getting beat.
His transition game remains a normal thing for him. He will make a bad pass at times but those are few and far between. Transitionally he is a huge positive to the team.
Lilly is always looking to get involved in the rush. Sometimes as the main player, but most of the time as a support player. He makes himself a passing while making the ice bigger. He looks for opportunities to help the attack.
His skating is a bit of a concern. He is fast to start, but top end speed is more average. However he makes up for it. When there is a chance to activate, he doesn't hesitate. This kind of commitment lessens the chances for a mistake. Lilly's habits make him faster. He passes without breaking a stride, and then continues that stride.
The second part to his transition game is his passing. His calling card are the stretch passes. The way he passes is interesting. He passes to where the player is going. His breakout passes makes the offense keep going. This kind of passing is also used when his team is in the middle of a rush. His backhand passing is almost as good.

In the offensive zone, his passing isn't as good as the other elements. He prefers to hang on to the puck and let his forwards set up. You can call his game conservative in the opposing zone for lack of a better word.

Mitch doesn't feel creating offense in the zone will be his stength, but his production this season indicates maybe it will. With that being said, Leafs don't a dynamic offensive generator, they need someone who compliments the offense with passing and defensive ability, and Lilly brings that.

In those aspects, Lilly is ready for the NHL. His transition game will easily translate, and his defensive game will also help.

 

[JT AM da real deal]

Thanks to the other poster for mentioning this. Mitch Brown wrote a great article of Lilly is NHL ready. I will put in my own words.


Mitch said when Lilly was drafted, he was an offense first player with no defence. The turnaround since then has been amazing.
Lilly's best attributes are his decision making and defense. Lilly's off puck defence is terrific. He is aware of what's happening in the zone, and makes the right read on where the play is going. Lilly's on puck defence is also helpful to his team. He closes on players quickly which ends the play. He is also very good in loose puck recoveries. He takes routes to the puck that gives him escape options, while fighting for body position.

Lilly is above average in defending on the rush, but not quite as good as he is in the previous aspects. He is positionally strong and his mobility helps.
The issue with Lilly defending on the rush is that he gives too much respect to fast players. He backs into the zone and then tries to close the gap. While this will hurt him in the NHL at times, it's not a red flag or anything. He recovers well after getting beat.
His transition game remains a normal thing for him. He will make a bad pass at times but those are few and far between. Transitionally he is a huge positive to the team.
Lilly is always looking to get involved in the rush. Sometimes as the main player, but most of the time as a support player. He makes himself a passing while making the ice bigger. He looks for opportunities to help the attack.
His skating is a bit of a concern. He is fast to start, but top end speed is more average. However he makes up for it. When there is a chance to activate, he doesn't hesitate. This kind of commitment lessens the chances for a mistake. Lilly's habits make him faster. He passes without breaking a stride, and then continues that stride.
The second part to his transition game is his passing. His calling card are the stretch passes. The way he passes is interesting. He passes to where the player is going. His breakout passes makes the offense keep going. This kind of passing is also used when his team is in the middle of a rush. His backhand passing is almost as good.

In the offensive zone, his passing isn't as good as the other elements. He prefers to hang on to the puck and let his forwards set up. You can call his game conservative in the opposing zone for lack of a better word.

Mitch doesn't feel creating offense in the zone will be his stength, but his production this season indicates maybe it will. With that being said, Leafs don't a dynamic offensive generator, they need someone who compliments the offense with passing and defensive ability, and Lilly brings that.

In those aspects, Lilly is ready for the NHL. His transition game will easily translate, and his defensive game will also help.

To me the single biggest improvement in Lily's game from last season to this season is he is much stronger on his skates. I don't see him on his *ss in corners when fighting for loose pucks. He can now hold his own. I also think everyone is selling him low on his ability to carry puck up ice. I predict he will look a lot more like Holl in next year or 2 in his confidence to carry the puck up ice. He got stripped a lot early on and I think his confidence was affected.

 

[Egghead1999]

We may think he is NHL ready. Then, did we know why leafs hd 7 Ds in his first game? I guess leafs believe he is not ready yet.

 

[stickty111]

We may think he is NHL ready. Then, did we know why leafs hd 7 Ds in his first game? I guess leafs believe he is not ready yet.

Maybe you should do some research before saying stuff like this.
It's because Leafs have no space with RHD. If a RHD got injured, Lilly would be up and Sandin would be the 7th defenceman. Bob said it as well.
Does that mean they believe Sandin isn't ready?

They also called up Lilly and told him be ready if Barrie can't go. They were going with 6 defencemen then. He is NHL ready.

 

[stickty111]

We may think he is NHL ready. Then, did we know why leafs hd 7 Ds in his first game? I guess leafs believe he is not ready yet.

This is what Bob said.

Liljegren by the way, has had a better year than Sandin. If this was a right-shot D that went out, Liljegren would be in the line-up and Sandin would still be in the minors. Liljegren has been significantly better than Sandin over the course of the season. He's the next-man-up in terms of a longer-term assignment, unless Sandin comes up and picks up where he left off at the WJC and takes over.

You were saying?

 

[Egghead1999]

Maybe you should do some research before saying stuff like this.
It's because Leafs have no space with RHD. If a RHD got injured, Lilly would be up and Sandin would be the 7th defenceman. Bob said it as well.
Does that mean they believe Sandin isn't ready?

They also called up Lilly and told him be ready if Barrie can't go. They were going with 6 defencemen then. He is NHL ready.

sorry, may be I misheard the game commentary or dressing up 7D and 11F was a thing now

 

[stickty111]

sorry, may be I misheard the game commentary or dressing up 7D and 11F was a thing now

They did it because of circumstance. Dressing 7 D doesn't indicate that they don't think Lilly is NHL ready.

 

[ACC1224]

We may think he is NHL ready. Then, did we know why leafs hd 7 Ds in his first game? I guess leafs believe he is not ready yet.

Typically when 7 D are dressed it's due to one of the top players playing banged up, so they dress an extra in case he can't go after trying.
Think it was Dermott hurting in this case.

 

[stickty111]

Mark Rakham released his mid season Marlies grades, and he gave Lilly an A. Here is what he said.

Timothy Liljegren (33GP, 4g-20a-24pts)

Timothy Liljegren is ready for the NHL. There is no higher praise I could afford the young Swedish defenseman, whose trajectory this season has been nothing short of impressive. Somewhat overlooked because of his younger countryman, Liljegren has carried the Marlies’ blue line this season without any fanfare, playing top pair minutes, both special teams, and producing the numbers offensively that many doubted he could. He’s been the Marlies best defenseman on a nightly basis — and it’s not even close. Liljegren is ranked 12th in scoring amongst all AHL defenseman with 24 points despite fewer games played than his counterparts.

 

[JT AM da real deal]

I see Dumbass is looking for a RD-man with term. I guess the trading for Ceci,Barrie and Muzzin haven't worked out. It looks as though none of these players will sign with the Laughs. Looks good on Dumbass for stealing Tavares from the Isles! I'm thinking he's not as smart as people made him out to be...and with no 1st rounder this year Dumbass even looks stupider!

Muzzy will resign. Both sides want it. It is only a matter of negotiating time.
Leafs do not want either Barrie or Ceci back. If a good trade for a defensive D with term comes up and either of those guys can be moved it will get done.
We are very close. Much closer than everyone thinks. A couple more solid defenders and Freddy will have more protection and his game will get back on track.

 

[tony135420]

I see Dumbass is looking for a RD-man with term. I guess the trading for Ceci,Barrie and Muzzin haven't worked out. It looks as though none of these players will sign with the Laughs. Looks good on Dumbass for stealing Tavares from the Isles! I'm thinking he's not as smart as people made him out to be...and with no 1st rounder this year Dumbass even looks stupider!

OK Boomer.

 

[4thline]

I see Dumbass is looking for a RD-man with term. I guess the trading for Ceci,Barrie and Muzzin haven't worked out. It looks as though none of these players will sign with the Laughs. Looks good on Dumbass for stealing Tavares from the Isles! I'm thinking he's not as smart as people made him out to be...and with no 1st rounder this year Dumbass even looks stupider!

Generous description of whatever is going on up there.

 

[JT AM da real deal]

I see Dumbass is looking for a RD-man with term. I guess the trading for Ceci,Barrie and Muzzin haven't worked out. It looks as though none of these players will sign with the Laughs. Looks good on Dumbass for stealing Tavares from the Isles! I'm thinking he's not as smart as people made him out to be...and with no 1st rounder this year Dumbass even looks stupider!

We got rid of numbnuts Z with Ceci who only had 1 year left - pretty good deal. Sens are stuck with that guy OMG.
The Barrie deal was a mistake no doubt. A lot of us got confused with his 1st round offensive playoff performance last year.
You can't win em all. Kadri should have got us a solid #2 guy who can play.

 

[Martin Skoula]

We got rid of numbnuts Z with Ceci who only had 1 year left - pretty good deal. Sens are stuck with that guy OMG.
The Barrie deal was a mistake no doubt. A lot of us got confused with his 1st round offensive playoff performance last year.
You can't win em all. Kadri should have got us a solid #2 guy who can play.

Should he have? He was coming off a pretty underwhelming season.

The Henrique deal is a pretty good baseline, I can't really say we got bad value based on that.

The worst case scenario would have been holding on to Kadri and having him put up another 40-ish point season, his value would have probably gone down to a #4D and a vet grinder.

 

[hamzarocks]

Thanks to the other poster for mentioning this. Mitch Brown wrote a great article of Lilly is NHL ready. I will put in my own words.


Mitch said when Lilly was drafted, he was an offense first player with no defence. The turnaround since then has been amazing.
Lilly's best attributes are his decision making and defense. Lilly's off puck defence is terrific. He is aware of what's happening in the zone, and makes the right read on where the play is going. Lilly's on puck defence is also helpful to his team. He closes on players quickly which ends the play. He is also very good in loose puck recoveries. He takes routes to the puck that gives him escape options, while fighting for body position.

Lilly is above average in defending on the rush, but not quite as good as he is in the previous aspects. He is positionally strong and his mobility helps.
The issue with Lilly defending on the rush is that he gives too much respect to fast players. He backs into the zone and then tries to close the gap. While this will hurt him in the NHL at times, it's not a red flag or anything. He recovers well after getting beat.
His transition game remains a normal thing for him. He will make a bad pass at times but those are few and far between. Transitionally he is a huge positive to the team.
Lilly is always looking to get involved in the rush. Sometimes as the main player, but most of the time as a support player. He makes himself a passing while making the ice bigger. He looks for opportunities to help the attack.
His skating is a bit of a concern. He is fast to start, but top end speed is more average. However he makes up for it. When there is a chance to activate, he doesn't hesitate. This kind of commitment lessens the chances for a mistake. Lilly's habits make him faster. He passes without breaking a stride, and then continues that stride.
The second part to his transition game is his passing. His calling card are the stretch passes. The way he passes is interesting. He passes to where the player is going. His breakout passes makes the offense keep going. This kind of passing is also used when his team is in the middle of a rush. His backhand passing is almost as good.

In the offensive zone, his passing isn't as good as the other elements. He prefers to hang on to the puck and let his forwards set up. You can call his game conservative in the opposing zone for lack of a better word.

Mitch doesn't feel creating offense in the zone will be his stength, but his production this season indicates maybe it will. With that being said, Leafs don't a dynamic offensive generator, they need someone who compliments the offense with passing and defensive ability, and Lilly brings that.

In those aspects, Lilly is ready for the NHL. His transition game will easily translate, and his defensive game will also help.

Quality post right here. For most fans who dont get to watch marlies games this seems like a pretty unbiased view of lilijgren as a player. Would give this a like but lost that privilege

 

[Joey Hoser]

These types of articles are why I subscribe.

I bought a subscription for next to nothing over the holidays and totally forgot about it. Guess I'll finally check it out.

 

[Clark4Ever]

I think the time has come to move Ceci or Barrie to make room for this kid. I think Barrie would be the preferable option because he will fetch a much better return, and despite his improved offensive production under Keefe, he is a total liability defensively. Sandin and Liljegren could quarterback the PP units until Rielly comes back.

 

[Maplebeasts]

Another 2 points today. His offensive game has skyrocketed this year. Really proud of him

 

[Paradoc]

Thanks to the other poster for mentioning this. Mitch Brown wrote a great article of Lilly is NHL ready. I will put in my own words.


Mitch said when Lilly was drafted, he was an offense first player with no defence. The turnaround since then has been amazing.
Lilly's best attributes are his decision making and defense. Lilly's off puck defence is terrific. He is aware of what's happening in the zone, and makes the right read on where the play is going. Lilly's on puck defence is also helpful to his team. He closes on players quickly which ends the play. He is also very good in loose puck recoveries. He takes routes to the puck that gives him escape options, while fighting for body position.

Lilly is above average in defending on the rush, but not quite as good as he is in the previous aspects. He is positionally strong and his mobility helps.
The issue with Lilly defending on the rush is that he gives too much respect to fast players. He backs into the zone and then tries to close the gap. While this will hurt him in the NHL at times, it's not a red flag or anything. He recovers well after getting beat.
His transition game remains a normal thing for him. He will make a bad pass at times but those are few and far between. Transitionally he is a huge positive to the team.
Lilly is always looking to get involved in the rush. Sometimes as the main player, but most of the time as a support player. He makes himself a passing while making the ice bigger. He looks for opportunities to help the attack.
His skating is a bit of a concern. He is fast to start, but top end speed is more average. However he makes up for it. When there is a chance to activate, he doesn't hesitate. This kind of commitment lessens the chances for a mistake. Lilly's habits make him faster. He passes without breaking a stride, and then continues that stride.
The second part to his transition game is his passing. His calling card are the stretch passes. The way he passes is interesting. He passes to where the player is going. His breakout passes makes the offense keep going. This kind of passing is also used when his team is in the middle of a rush. His backhand passing is almost as good.

In the offensive zone, his passing isn't as good as the other elements. He prefers to hang on to the puck and let his forwards set up. You can call his game conservative in the opposing zone for lack of a better word.

Mitch doesn't feel creating offense in the zone will be his stength, but his production this season indicates maybe it will. With that being said, Leafs don't a dynamic offensive generator, they need someone who compliments the offense with passing and defensive ability, and Lilly brings that.

In those aspects, Lilly is ready for the NHL. His transition game will easily translate, and his defensive game will also help.

Very nice write-up. I hope Liljegren gets a chance soon. He looked good in his NHL debut and IMO, ready for regular ice time.

 

[hamzarocks]

Another 2 points today. His offensive game has skyrocketed this year. Really proud of him

Hopefully ceci is turned to a 3rd+5th rounder so lilijgren gets a full time spot. I dont care too much about his offensive game but am seeing multiple articles giving him credit for his defensive game. Think him and sandin both could use this upcoming offseason to focus on sharpening their skating to the next level. Improving their speed and acceleration will really help them transition to impact top 4 defenders right away for next year imo.

 

[A1LeafNation]

Hopefully ceci is turned to a 3rd+5th rounder so lilijgren gets a full time spot. I dont care too much about his offensive game but am seeing multiple articles giving him credit for his defensive game. Think him and sandin both could use this upcoming offseason to focus on sharpening their skating to the next level. Improving their speed and acceleration will really help them transition to impact top 4 defenders right away for next year imo.

We still need a 4th RHD.

 

[supermann_98]

Lucky for us the Kings “insisted” on Durzi instead of Liljegren, a rumour btw I believe was BS

 

[Jeffrey Pedler]

sorry, may be I misheard the game commentary or dressing up 7D and 11F was a thing now

It's been a thing for years, especially since the fourth line gets under 10 minutes a game. You may as well dress 7 dman, just rotate some guys during the game to play with the fourth line.

 

[paulhiggins]

Lucky for us the Kings “insisted” on Durzi instead of Liljegren, a rumour btw I believe was BS
View attachment 312543 View attachment 312545

I would still take Durzi back however. Maybe for an asset that seems stuck in the AHL.