<p>Former Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman Timothy Liljegren is ready to turn the page to begin life with the San Jose Sharks.</p>
<p>A day after <a href="https://theleafsnation.com/news/maple-leafs-trade-timothy-liljegren-sharks-for-matt-benning-two-draft-picks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">he was traded </a> in exchange for defenceman Matt Benning and two draft picks, Liljegren spoke with the Sharks media over a Zoom call to reflect on the end of his time in Toronto and his new opportunity in San Jose. He said he first learned of the deal when Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving called him while he was making dinner on Wednesday night.</p>
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<p>&#8220;Healthy all year. Just didn&#8217;t get picked for games,&#8221; Liljegren said on if he felt he got a fair shot under Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube <a href="https://x.com/curtispashelka/status/1852058931243417719?s=46&amp;t=ZScKpOPIyd2CPPkszRwq8w" target="_blank" rel="noopener">via Mercury New&#8217;s Curtis Pashelka</a>. &#8220;I don&#8217;t know. We had a lot of competition, a lot of good D and things didn&#8217;t really work out the way I wanted in camp. I didn&#8217;t play my best hockey either. So I wasn&#8217;t happy with how I was playing.&#8221;</p>
<p>Liljegren had been mired in trade rumours all offseason, <a href="https://x.com/TLNdc/status/1852047204032077960" target="_blank" rel="noopener">with reports emerging Thursday</a> that the Leafs had been shopping him around all summer but received minimal interest until the Sharks came calling. What didn&#8217;t help his case was getting passed on the depth chart by Conor Timmins and Philippe Myers, while never being able to make a strong impression on Berube to secure a longer look.</p>
<p>Liljegren only managed to appear in one game for the Leafs this season and his performance at training camp left a lot to be desired. All of that in combination with the impending return of Jani Hakanpaa meant the writing was on the wall for the 17th pick of the 2017 NHL Draft.</p>
<p>“I think looking back at training camp, I think guys just outplayed him a little bit,” Berube said to reporters at the morning skate on why things did not pan out for Liljegren this season. “He’s got ability, he can skate, move the puck. I wish him all the best. It just didn’t work out here.”</p>
<p><a href="https://theleafsnation.com/news/rielly-nylander-others-reflect-on-liljegren-trade" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Morgan Rielly and William Nylander</a> expressed their sadness in seeing Liljegren get moved while wishing him the best in his next chapter in northern California. While there is no doubt that his tenure in Toronto came to an unceremonious end, he will always look back fondly on his time here <a href="https://theleafsnation.com/news/timothy-liljegren-thanks-toronto-in-instagram-post-after-trade-to-sharks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">as evidenced by his goodbye post on Instagram</a> he shared on Wednesday night after the trade became official.</p>
<p>Now that the saga is finally over, he is looking forward to getting a chance to play for a young Sharks team amid a rebuild <a href="https://x.com/Sheng_Peng/status/1852060082051359013" target="_blank" rel="noopener">while having no issues with his work visa</a>.</p>
<p>&#8220;I was excited,&#8221; Liljegren said. &#8220;Young team, lots of talent, so it&#8217;s been a little stressful since that call with packing all my stuff and the flight and everything, but happy to be here and I&#8217;m excited.&#8221;</p>
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Former Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman Timothy Liljegren is ready to turn the page to begin life with the San Jose Sharks.

A day after <a href="https://theleafsnation.com/news/maple-leafs-trade-timothy-liljegren-sharks-for-matt-benning-two-draft-picks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">he was traded </a> in exchange for defenceman Matt Benning and two draft picks, Liljegren spoke with the Sharks media over a Zoom call to reflect on the end of his time in Toronto and his new opportunity in San Jose. He said he first learned of the deal when Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving called him while he was making dinner on Wednesday night.
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"Healthy all year. Just didn't get picked for games," Liljegren said on if he felt he got a fair shot under Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube <a href="https://x.com/curtispashelka/status/1852058931243417719?s=46&amp;t=ZScKpOPIyd2CPPkszRwq8w" target="_blank" rel="noopener">via Mercury New's Curtis Pashelka</a>. "I don't know. We had a lot of competition, a lot of good D and things didn't really work out the way I wanted in camp. I didn't play my best hockey either. So I wasn't happy with how I was playing."

Liljegren had been mired in trade rumours all offseason, <a href="https://x.com/TLNdc/status/1852047204032077960" target="_blank" rel="noopener">with reports emerging Thursday</a> that the Leafs had been shopping him around all summer but received minimal interest until the Sharks came calling. What didn't help his case was getting passed on the depth chart by Conor Timmins and Philippe Myers, while never being able to make a strong impression on Berube to secure a longer look.

Liljegren only managed to appear in one game for the Leafs this season and his performance at training camp left a lot to be desired. All of that in combination with the impending return of Jani Hakanpaa meant the writing was on the wall for the 17th pick of the 2017 NHL Draft.

“I think looking back at training camp, I think guys just outplayed him a little bit,” Berube said to reporters at the morning skate on why things did not pan out for Liljegren this season. “He’s got ability, he can skate, move the puck. I wish him all the best. It just didn’t work out here.”

<a href="https://theleafsnation.com/news/rielly-nylander-others-reflect-on-liljegren-trade" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Morgan Rielly and William Nylander</a> expressed their sadness in seeing Liljegren get moved while wishing him the best in his next chapter in northern California. While there is no doubt that his tenure in Toronto came to an unceremonious end, he will always look back fondly on his time here <a href="https://theleafsnation.com/news/timothy-liljegren-thanks-toronto-in-instagram-post-after-trade-to-sharks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">as evidenced by his goodbye post on Instagram</a> he shared on Wednesday night after the trade became official.

Now that the saga is finally over, he is looking forward to getting a chance to play for a young Sharks team amid a rebuild <a href="https://x.com/Sheng_Peng/status/1852060082051359013" target="_blank" rel="noopener">while having no issues with his work visa</a>.

"I was excited," Liljegren said. "Young team, lots of talent, so it's been a little stressful since that call with packing all my stuff and the flight and everything, but happy to be here and I'm excited."
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Timothy Liljegren on his final days with the Leafs: ‘I wasn’t happy with how I was playing’

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