Toronto Maple Leafs sign Timothy Liljegren to ELC

The Toronto Maple Leafs announced today that they’ve signed defenceman Timothy Liljegren to a three-year entry level contract.

Liljegren was drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs with the 17th overall pick in the 2017 Entry Draft in what some would call the single most positive impact that mononucleosis has had on modern society. The 18-year-old right-handed defenceman from Kristianstad, Sweden spent last season playing for the Rogle BK organization in the SHL and SuperElite, and Timra IK in Allsvenskan.

Earlier today when speaking to the media, Lou Lamoriello mentioned that Liljegren was not going to play junior hockey this year, despite being drafted by the Niagara IceDogs in the CHL import draft this summer. His most likely venues at the moment appear to be either a return to the SHL or to join the Toronto Marlies. In either case, his entry-level deal would slide thanks to his age and draft status.

The timing makes sense, given that Liljegren is in town for Leafs development camp. The youngster ended his scrimmage today on a high note, scoring a point shot through traffic:

Terms have not been released at this time, though given Lou Lamoriello’s history with mid-late first round picks and Toronto’s current cap situation, it wouldn’t be shocking to see Liljegren’s Schedule A bonus be on the limited side, if not entirely non-existent.