Two former Toronto Maple Leafs defensemen were on the move at Friday’s NHL trade deadline.
One was an evident camp dump, while the other was a move hoping to recoup something for an impending UFA. So, here’s a closer look at the former Maple Leafs on the move on trade deadline day.
Detroit Red Wings Deal Former Maple Leafs Holl to Blues
Maple Leafs fans will remember Justin Holl, particularly for the flak he took throughout his tenure in Toronto. The 34-year-old was a second-round selection of the Chicago Blackhawks in 2010.
He ended up with the Leafs after he failed to sign with the Blackhawks. In his six seasons in Toronto, Holl was on the receiving end of criticism for his costly defensive gaffes. He was a good soldier, but failed to really gain traction with the club.
So, he signed a free-agent deal with the Red Wings in the 2023 offseason. And promptly, the Red Wings realized what the Maple Leafs already knew about him.
The situation with Holl got so bad that the Red Wings put him on waivers. Unsurprisingly, the cleared twice. This season, Holl hasn’t even played an NHL game. He’s appeared in 41 games for the Grand Rapids Griffins, scoring two goals and 14 points.
He was part of the Justin Faulk trade on Friday, sending him to St. Louis. He was evidently a cap dump. It’s unclear whether he’ll actually play for the Blues or end up moving to the AHL.
If he doesn’t play at all, well, that could be the end of the line for Justin Holl. He’ll be a UFA at the end of this season. Perhaps another team might be willing to give him one last wick at the NHL can.
San Jose Sharks Dispatch Liljegren to Capitals
Another much-maligned former Maple Leafs blueliner who moved at the NHL trade deadline was Timothy Liljegren.
The Swedish blueliner was the Maple Leafs’ first-round pick in the 2017 NHL Draft. There were high hopes for Liljegren, but he didn’t seem to deliver on that promise. He played up and down the Leafs’ lineup, but just couldn’t emerge as the number-one defenseman the Leafs would have hoped for.
So, after signing a two-year extension last season, the Maple Leafs found a willing taker in the San Jose Sharks. He had a decent season with an awful Sharks team last season.
This year, things changed. San Jose has actually improved, and with blueline prospects coming up the pipeline, the impending UFA was suddenly expendable.
The Washington Capitals, meanwhile, took a shot on Liljegren, sending a 2026 fourth-round pick to San Jose. The Capitals likely made the trade as they needed a defenseman to pick up some of the minutes left behind by John Carlson.
The Caps traded Carlson to the Anaheim Ducks, making the former Maple Leafs draft pick a decent choice to round out the roster.
It remains unclear if the Capitals will re-sign him. However, there is a good chance they might. The Caps have another former Maple Leafs defenseman. Rasmus Sandin, with whom Liljegren knows well.
So, there might be a home for Liljegren in the US capital after all.
Maple Leafs Former D-Men Traded at Deadline