Toronto Maple Leafs' Focus Shifts After Trading Liljegren

The Toronto Maple Leafs addressed their nearly month-long saga of Timothy Liljegren, trading him and his $3-million cap hit to the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday.

In return, the Leafs received a more affordable defenseman in Matt Benning ($1.25 million annually through 2025-26), along with a 2025 third-round pick and a 2026 sixth-rounder.

With the Liljegren drama behind them and having freed up some much-needed cap space, the Maple Leafs can attempt to address their inconsistent on-ice performance.

The Leafs sport a record of 5-4-1 entering their Halloween matchup with the Seattle Kraken. While that's included big wins against the league-leading Winnipeg Jets, the New Jersey Devils and Tampa Bay Lightning, they've also fallen to rebuilding opponents, such as the Montreal Canadiens and Columbus Blue Jackets.

Some observers are uneasy about the club's roster makeup. Earlier this week, we noted concern about the Leafs' need for a second-line center. A trade would be necessary to fix that, but they could be forced to wait until the market improves by the March 7 trade deadline.

The Leafs signing defenseman Jake McCabe to a five-year contract extension prompted The Hockey News' Adam Proteau to speculate over which players they'll re-sign next.

Mitch Marner's contract status remains the elephant in the room. Marner and GM Brad Treliving have kept their contract discussions out of the media.

Proteau believes the Leafs should move on from Marner if he seeks more than $11 million annually, citing his lack of playoff success. He also suggested Treliving could feel pressure to get something for the 27-year-old right winger in the trade market if neither party sees a future for Marner in Toronto. However, Marner has a full no-movement clause and currently shows no intention of waiving it.

With Liljegren gone, the focus could return to left winger Nick Robertson's future in Toronto.

Robertson, 23, was the subject of off-season rumors after requesting a trade but eventually signed a one-year, $850,000 contract. He performed well in the pre-season with five goals but has one goal in nine regular-season games and was a healthy scratch against the Jets on Oct. 28.

The Toronto Sun's Terry Koshan reports Robertson isn't letting this setback upset him and intends to work his way back into the lineup. Nevertheless, the trade speculation could resurface if he spends more time in the press box.

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