Defenseman Timothy Liljegren won’t be hitting the free agency after all. Instead, the Toronto Maple Leafs announced that they had locked Liljegren to a new deal that will keep him with the franchise through the 2023-24 NHL season.
Liljegren’s two-year deal is worth $2.8 million and comes with a $1.4 million annual salary. The 23-year-old Swede was set to become a restricted free agent later this summer.
The new contract rewards Liljegren for an encouraging 2021-22 season that saw him play career-high 61 games. He had five goals and 18 assists for a total of 23 points while finishing 11th in Calder Trophy voting.
Timothy Liljegren entered the NHL as the first-round pick by the Maple Leafs in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft. He spent his early years with the organization in AHL, where he played for Toronto Marlies. Liljegren’s time with the Marlies was largely successful, as he was a prominent contributor during the team’s Calder Cup run in 2018. He would also go on to make an AHL All-Star appearance in 2020.
Liljegren received his NHL debut during the 2019-20 season. He has played 74 regular-season games with the Maple Leafs since, contributing with 24 points (five goals and 19 assists).
