Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Timothy Liljegren suffered an upper-body injury in the second period of the Leafs’ 3-1 loss to the New York Rangers Thursday night. While it was thought he would miss some time, X-Rays came back negative and Liljegren will play Saturday.
Liljegren says he blocked a shot with his hand and it swelled up. X-rays negative and he says he’s good to go.
— luke fox (@lukefoxjukebox) December 17, 2022
Timothy Liljegren is not on the bench. Hasn’t played since approx 5 min to go in the second period.
— David Alter (@dalter) December 16, 2022
Leafs Deal with Timothy Liljegren Injury
The exact play which injured Liljegren is uncertain. He did not appear at all in the third period after leaving the bench with about five minutes left to go in the second period. According to Sportsnet’s Luke Fox, his right hand was wrapped postgame. He will be reassessed Friday by the team’s medical staff.
Liljegren skated 10:25 prior to his injury and recorded two blocked shots and two giveaways.
So far this season Liljegren has appeared in 20 games and recorded five points: two goals and three assists. He has a +15 differential and six minutes of penalties. Liljegren started the season on injured reserve for a hernia surgery in September. He has played 93 total games for the Leafs since they selected him as the 17th overall pick in the 2017 Draft.
What Avoided Timothy Liljegren Injury Means for the Leafs
Liljegren avoiding injury is massive news for the Leafs. So far they have five defencemen out. Victor Mete (lower-body injury sustained on December 6) is most likely to return before the holiday roster freeze. Jordie Benn, Morgan Rielly, Jake Muzzin, and Carl Dahlstrom are all projected to be unavailable until sometime in the calendar year 2023, according to CBS Sports.
Mac Hollowell has skated in six games from late November to the third of December, tallying two assists as well as two penalty minutes of his own. He was called up on an emergency basis today and would be an option if needed.
