The 24-year-old defenseman, the team’s first-round pick back in 2017, has struggled to make it into the lineup come playoff time. Liljegren was scratched after game two of the playoffs in 2022 as Sheldon Keefe went with a trio of T.J. Brodie, Justin Holl, and Ilya Lyubushkin on the right side the rest of the way. While Liljegren did play in four playoff games against the Florida Panthers last spring, he made it into the lineup just once in round one against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
The key question the Leafs now face: Will Liljegren be a lock for Toronto’s playoff lineup for years to come?