New trade proposal sends rival forward to Toronto Maple Leafs for Timothy Liljegren

With the start of the 2024-25 NHL season nearing by the minute, Toronto fans are still looking for a game-changer in the lineup to improve their chances heading into the next Stanley Cup playoffs. One fan under the alias "jazzhandz321" recently used the PuckPedia Puck GM tool to mock up their trade and answer some missing roles on the roster. If Brad Treliving were to follow their advice, he would send the Montreal Canadiens their 2025 6th-round pick for forward Josh Anderson, half-retained.

Josh Anderson plays in the right wing has a right shot, and could serve the team with more depth, as only Mitch Arner, William Nylander, and Ryan Reaves are listed on their roster as such. At 30 years old,he is 6'3" and 220 pounds earning $5.5 million in AAV.

Yet, this last year, he only posted 9 goals and 11 assists in 78 games last season, recording only 1 point per 60 minutes of ice time: his worst production rate since his 26-game season between 2019 and 2020. While it would make sense for the Montreal Canadiens to post half his salary based on his decreased value, there is no chance they would settle for a sixth-round pick. Instead, they might look to a deal involving Timothy Liljegren, which would look something more like this:

To the Toronto Maple Leafs:
Josh Anderson
2025 second-round pick

To the Montreal Canadiens:
Timothy Liljegren

Timothy Liljegren has a lot of potential and, after their recent re-singing with Jani Hakanpaa, he was just featured as an official part of the Toronto Maple Leafs blue line in the 2024-25 season.

After a 55-game season last year, the 25-year-old defenseman posted 3 goals and 23 total points. He is now in the second year of his contract, worth $3 million annually. He would also benefit the Montreal Canadiens, becoming only the fifth right-shot defenseman on their lineup standing at the same height and nine years younger than David Savard.

While this would unload $2.5 million off their shoulders, it does not answer all the possible issues the Toronto Maple Leafs could have with cap space. Thus, they could take a second-round draft pick, which has the potential to pay dividends for the team long-term.

Though it is unlikely the Maple Leafs and Canadiens had this deal in mind, there are places both teams could spot with a trade. Yet, with Toronto already over the cap, it is unlikely they will want to go deeper into the red with one fewer defenseman. Hopefully, they have some remedy in mind and are already two steps ahead.