Sheldon Keefe Singles Out a Key Defenseman Falling Short of Maple Leafs' Expectations

In a recent interview, Sheldon Keefe chose to single out this key defenseman as falling short of his expectations, shocking many fans and sparking discussion as to the purpose of his criticism.

Sheldon Keefe Calls Out Liljegren For Not Meeting Expectations

One thing that has changed significantly from the Kyle Dubas Era to the Brad Treliving Era is the leeway that Sheldon Keefe has in calling out his players in the media. Under Dubas, Keefe was held back from being too hard on his players when talking to the media. Now, he doesn't hold back, and his latest victim is Timothy Liljegren.

Keefe recently called Liljegren out, saying that the young defenseman isn't meeting the team's expectations since his return from injury. Here is what Keefe had to say.




Liljegren was injured for a long stretch but has made his steady return back to the lineup. He has put up decent numbers for the Leafs and has a +1 rating in the last 5 games.

Keefe's Comments Concern Fans Who Think Liljegren Is Not The Problem

The Leafs are definitely going through a bit of a rough patch over the last 10 games or so, not playing at the level they want to and dropping games where they have the lead. However, Keefe's comments on Liljegren were met with some pushback by the media and fans, as Liljegren doesn't seem like the issue from the outside perspective.





We will see if Liljegren can rise to the challenge of being called out by Keefe, or if he will maintain where he is at, which fans think is just fine.

As seen on Maple Leafs Daily - "Sheldon Keefe identifies one defenseman that just hasn't been good enough"