In every NHL draft, there is usually a consensus number one pick or a battle between two top prospects. There are usually some star players — even franchise players — that get picked between 3 and 15, but sometimes there is a player that years later makes people wonder why they weren’t in the conversation to go in those top two picks.
Erik Karlsson in 2008 is an example. He was picked 15th overall by the Ottawa Senators, but you could argue that, in hindsight, he could have been in a battle with Steven Stamkos for first overall.
In 2010, you could argue that Taylor vs Tyler should have had another T: Tarasenko. Mark Scheifele went 7th overall in 2011, but would you rather have him or Ryan Nugent-Hopkins at this point? And, at this point, it seems pretty clear that Filip Forsberg, 11th overall in 2012, is better than Nail Yakupov.
What you hope for, as a General Manager, is to find not just a good player early in the first round, but the player that leaves every other GM in the league kicking themselves for not taking him.
Which brings me to Timothy Liljegren.
Heading into this season, Liljegren was in the conversation to be the first overall pick. Many publications had him at number two, right behind Nolan Patrick, and were prepared to put him first overall with a strong season for Rogle BK in the Swedish Hockey League.
He was getting comparisons to Erik Karlsson, both in his style of play and talent level. His performance in Sweden and internationally heading into this season pegged him as an elite talent, capable of taking over a game with his ability to break up plays in the defensive zone and lead the breakout with his excellent skating, keen vision, and pinpoint passing.
Essentially, he seemed like the number one defenceman that teams crave more than plants crave Brawndo. The Canucks, who have arguably never had a true number one defenceman in their history, you can bet they had their eyes on Liljegren.
But this past season did not go as planned. Instead of taking a step forward, Liljegren was stuck in place and arguably took a step backward. The catch is that it wasn't really his fault.
A bout with mono kept him off the ice for months and he struggled to get back into form. A lack of ice time for Rogle BK saw him sent back down to their under-20 team and loaned to Timra in the second division. At the World Under-18 Championships, he managed just two points in seven games after six points in seven games as a 16-year-old. He wasn’t even chosen to represent Sweden at the World Junior Championships.
As a result, Liljegren has fallen significantly down draft rankings. ISS, Craig Button, and Mckeen’s Hockey have all dropped him to eighth overall, while Bob Mckenzie has him at 12th. Central Scouting has him ranked sixth just among European skaters.
And yet, Liljegren might still be the best defenceman in this draft and might even be the best player. Because of a case of mono, a team picking outside the top five might end up with the best player in this draft class, a bonafide game-changing number-one defenceman.
Or, maybe it wasn’t just the mono that derailed his season. Maybe Liljegren isn’t as good as everyone thought. At this point, Liljegren is very much a high risk/high reward pick.
Personally, I believe that what Liljegren did as a 16-year-old is enough to warrant the Canucks taking a long look at Liljegren at fifth overall, even if I would prefer a centre with that pick.
His ability to transition the puck is what intrigues me the most, but he also has, from what I’ve seen, an underrated defensive game, using his skating to close gaps and a smart stick to create turnovers. He is also an adept power play quarterback, using his mobility to walk the blue line and open up passing and shooting lanes.
Looking to the future, Liljegren’s dynamic offensive game (and right-handed shot) would be an excellent complement to Olli Juolevi’s more composed two-way game, if both players pan out. And somehow, having a Finn and a Swede leading the Canucks on defence just feels right. Does Jim Benning see this as the foundation of the Canucks’ future defence corps?
