Scout's Analysis: What Leafs get in Benning, Sharks in Liljegren

This was the start of the movement that's coming in Toronto.

On Wednesday night, the Toronto Maple Leafs traded Timothy Liljegren, the 17th-overall pick from the 2017 draft and a long-term project who never quite fit into this lineup — never in the playoffs and certainly not in the regular season under new coach Craig Berube. His $3-million cap hit for this season and next was too large to be sitting in the press box, and with other lineup players on the verge of returning, something had to give.

As soon as this weekend, risky off-season signing Jani Hakanpaa is eligible to return from a knee injury that has sidelined him since March 16. The towering six-foot-seven, 225-pound blueliner replaces Liljegren as a right-shot defender on the depth chart, but should quickly walk straight into the lineup.

Hakanpaa is, the Leafs hope, the sort of rugged, long defenceman who can clog lanes and slow the attackers when everything gets tighter in the playoffs, and the Finn has 33 games of post-season experience. But the knee injury he's returning from initially raised concerns that he'd be unable to resume his career, and led the Dallas Stars to leaving him unsigned and delaying his one-year contract announcement with Toronto.

Hakanpaa, 32, will count for $1.47 million against the cap.

Liljegren likely won't be the only Leaf to move in the coming days and weeks. Connor Dewar is also nearing a return, eligible to come back this weekend. Toronto, already at the limit of 23 players before activating either, will have to clear roster space — not cap space — when these players return, which will lead to more shuffling. The player acquired in Wednesday's trade, another right-shot defender, Matt Benning, could be swapped again, or waived. Philippe Myers, a right-shot blueliner with one game played, is also a candidate to be waived. At some point, Calle Jarnkrok and his $2.1 million salary will return to health, which will require the Leafs to clear another roster spot and cap room unless injuries become a factor.

At each of these roster pinch points, there will be options for Toronto, but none that will bring the Leafs a great return. The Liljegren trade is just the beginning of what's to come.

In Wednesday's trade, Toronto also acquired two draft picks that will either be used to begin patching together a depleted prospect pipeline or for further trades down the line. Toronto picked up San Jose's sixth-round pick in 2026, plus the earlier of the two third-round picks the Sharks hold (Edmonton's or Colorado's) in 2025.

The Sharks, meantime, acquire a puck-moving, 25-year-old, right-shot defenceman with upside for throwaway picks and, to them, a replaceable 30-year-old blueliner.

For more on what both teams got in the players acquired Wednesday, here is what scout Jason Bukala has to say about Liljegren and Benning.

SCOUT'S ANALYSIS

To San Jose: Timothy Liljegren

I have long thought Liljgren was misunderstood at the NHL level, perhaps even miscast by the previous Leafs regime. I started scouting Liljegren in 2015 and immediately appreciated his skating and agility, especially on the larger ice surface in Europe. He didn’t move the needle for me offensively, however, and I left several of my viewings in his draft year with questions about how he processed the game. He had more space to make plays in Europe, but seemed prone to unnecessary turnovers. Fortunately for him, he had the legs to recover.

When I say he was potentially miscast, I’m reflecting on his third year playing in the AHL with the Toronto Marlies. Liljegren was used in all situations, including significant power-play time, and produced five goals and 25 assists in 40 games during the pandemic-shortened season. It looked like he could potentially find a role on the Leafs' power play someday, especially as a right-shot defenceman.

After Liljegren arrived in the NHL, however, his defending and detail ranged wildly. He continued to be a good skater, but he isn’t physically difficult to play against and doesn’t seem programmed to “dummy down” his game overall. He does provide secondary offence, but the reality is the Leafs are looking for a different style of player for their bottom pairing than Liljegren.

Liljegren was drafted 17th overall in 2017, so Toronto was patient, to say the least. The Leafs get some much-needed draft capital in addition to a veteran defender, picking up third- and sixth-round picks too.

To Toronto: Matt Benning

The first thing that stands out about the Leafs acquiring Benning is the fact he’s also a right-shot defenceman. Clearly, the team preferred swapping out a righty for a righty, if possible. The second thing is the fact Benning is a player who could clear waivers if Toronto choses to go that route and bury most of his $1.25-million salary in the minors. The Leafs can afford this kind of transaction and it might give them some cap relief along with an option to recall a veteran, if needed.

Benning is a bottom-pairing NHL defender. San Jose is awful, and he was being deployed on its third pair, averaging only 13 minutes of ice time per game — when he played. Benning’s agility is average and so is his puck skill. He will block shots on the penalty kill and keep his game simple. Berube and assistant coach Mike Van Ryn, who runs the Leafs defence, would have seen Benning more than anyone on the Leafs' staff when they were in St. Louis and Benning was suiting up for the Nashville Predators.