The NHL offseason rumor mill has slowed down recently, with executives and players all going their separate ways for the summer. There isn’t a lot of action, but that doesn’t mean teams are done making changes. That includes the Toronto Maple Leafs who did a lot to change their blue line but are looking for some help at forward and might have a few more moves in their back pocket.
Back in March, I wrote that GM Brad Treliving might have had one more bullet in his chamber if the Leafs didn’t fare well in the playoffs. At the time, I wrote:
“Because the money is committed to the top stars, Fox argues Treliving only has one bullet left in his chamber that he can fire during the summer. That would be firing head coach Sheldon Keefe. When asked by Marek if that would be the right decision, Fox responded, “What else are you gonna do?”
It turned out that Toronto did flop out of the postseason, Keefe was fired and Craig Berube was hired as the new head coach. Now, some four months later, it’s worth asking if Treliving has more bullets in his chamber ahead of a new season.
A Possible Timothy Liljegren or Nick Roberston Trade
Defenseman Timothy Liljegren could still be traded. He isn’t necessarily a lock in the top four, and his $3 million salary is potentially too high for a third-pair defenseman (even if you could make the argument that so is Oliver Ekman-Larsson’s deal). Trading him could help the team acquire a solid third-line center or another top-nine forward.
NHL insider Chris Johnston remarked in early July, “We’ll see if Timothy Liljegren still gets traded. I know he was signed to a two-year extension but I don’t think you can entirely rule out a trade in his circumstance yet. They’re still going to keep chipping away at the roster.”
Liljegren has been involved in trade rumors for several seasons. His new contract doesn’t necessarily protect him from being part of future trade discussions. Much of this depends on what happens with Jani Hakanpaa. Is he healthy? Is he not? Is he officially joining the roster at some point?
Related: NHL Rumors: Canadiens, Islanders, Flames, Laine & Jeff Marek News
Like Liljegren, Nick Robertson’s name has been in the rumor mill for years. The biggest difference between these two is that reports surfaced Robertson wanted to be moved and was looking for a fresh start somewhere else. The Leafs say they want to keep the forward and…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at The Hockey Writers…