NHL Rumors: Toronto Maple Leafs, Columbus Blue Jackets, and the Utah Hockey Club

Timothy Liljegren didn’t have much of a market … and could Matt Benning be on the move again?

TSN: After talking to teams around the league, Pierre LeBrun noted that the Toronto Maple Leafs spoke to almost every team about defenseman Timothy Liljegren dating back to the offseason. The Leafs had been trying to move him for a while now.

“This was something they’ve been working on for a while, and it played into why they signed him to the two-year extension in the summer instead of going to arbitration and maybe risking a $4 million award for Liljegren. The Leafs thought it would be more wise to sign him to that two-year deal for less money, and also structured in a way where they paid him a $2.4 million signing bonus July 1, Gino. Which again, the Leafs thought would help moving him in season here, which has happened.”

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There wasn’t much interest in him, and the San Jose Sharks were really the only team willing to make the move now. There were teams internally discussing Liljegren but not ready to make a move now.

LeBrun thinks the Maple Leafs could look at trading acquired Matt Benning, or they can hold onto him as depth option.

Terry Koshan: Newly acquired Maple Leafs defenseman Matt Benning on the possibility of the Leafs trading him given their roster situation: “That’s your guys’ job. I don’t really look into that. Whatever comes, comes. Got to make it hard on decision-making to keep me here. If I get an opportunity to get in & do well with it, that’s all I can control.”

The Columbus Blue Jackets were ready to move Ivan Provorov just yet

TSN: Pierre LeBrun said that Utah Hockey Club weren’t really interested in Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Timothy Liljegren because he was under contract for one more year. Utah was only looking at rental players.

“Like I said last week, a prime target I think was Provorov in Columbus, but the Blue Jackets are not ready to go down that route yet. The Blue Jackets are off to a surprising start, they’re not ready to start selling off parts.

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So, in the end, Utah settles for Maatta, who is a pending UFA and it’s really just giving them some important minutes here and to bridge the gap in particular to when Marino will back.”