Top Insider Reveals Maple Leafs GM May Consider Flipping Recent Acquisition from the Timothy Liljegren Trade
A top insider revealed that the Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving could consider flipping a recent acquisition from the Timothy Liljegren trade.
On Wednesday, the Toronto Maple Leafs traded the defenseman Timothy Liljegren to the San Jose Sharks in return for Matt Benning, a third-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft and a sixth-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft.
However, it has been put forward that the Leafs could be looking to flip Matt Benning for another asset.
In a recent report, Darren Dreger confirmed that the Toronto Maple Leafs could be exploring their options to free up roster space:
The Leafs now have 23 players on their roster. While Benning could be an interesting addition to the Leafs, they have a surplus of defensemen. With Jani Hakanpaa set to return sooner than later, after the Leafs sent him to the AHL for a conditioning stint, Treliving could be looking to offload a defenseman in the coming weeks. According to Dreger, that would be the easiest scenario.
With all the demand for right-handed defensemen right now in the NHL, flipping Benning for another asset would make sense for the Leafs. If not him, Conor Timmins could also generate an interesting return.
Treliving will have a tough choice to make, but it looks clear that by trading away a defenseman for another, he hasn't fixed the problem of the Leafs' crowded blue line.
