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One current Leafs D pair stands out above all the rest for one ex-Leaf
Photo credit: NHL
When the Toronto Maple Leafs approached the deadline last season, the goal was to bolster in as many areas as possible. In the end, we saw 6 new faces come into the lineup for the Leafs and one pretty significant young asset going out in Rasmus Sandin, who was dealt to Washington in exchange for defenseman Erik Gustafsson and Boston's 1st round pick, which became the 28th overall pick that the Leafs used to select Easton Cowan.
It was a sad day for Sandin and one of his best friends, William Nylander, when the trade news came down. Nylander walked Sandin out of the practice facility arm in arm and told him not to cry in front of the cameras, which in turn made both players laugh. Nice touch, Willy.
Now a member of the Washington Capitals, and fresh off of his 5-year contract extension, which will pay him $4.6M per season, Sandin still keeps an eye on his former team and believes that one pairing, more so than the others, has really caught his eye. When discussing the Leafs, Sandin issued a few comments on the Edmundson-Liljegren pairing.
"They will play some really solid hockey. Timothy is a fantastic skater, & has some really good puck skills as well. I think they're going to match up really well together." - Sandin on the Edmundson-Liljegren pairing
Liljegren himself has already expressed his feelings on matching up with the veteran Edmundson. The pair have looked good alongside one another and Liljegren told the media this week that's because Edmundson is steady and makes everything easy.
Sandin has really liked what he's seen from his former D partner, Liljegren, this year, though he was quick to point out that Liljegren has been limited in recent years. Now, with a larger role in Toronto, Sandin believes that Liljegren is going to flourish.
"The last couple years he's been limited. I think sky's the limit a little bit for him. He has a lot of potential ... Give him a little bit more time with this role & he's going to grow into it even more" - Sandin on Liljegren's new expanded role in Toronto
Time will tell how Liljegren performs with his new assignment, but if Sandin's read on the situation is correct, we could be in for a fun stretch of games and an exciting postseason.
| POLL | ||
MARS 21 | 633 ANSWERS One current Leafs D pair stands out above all the rest for one ex-Leaf Which D pair do you think is the Leafs' best right now? | ||
| Rielly-Brodie | 45 | 7.1 % |
| Benoit-McCabe | 453 | 71.6 % |
| Edmundson-Liljegren | 123 | 19.4 % |
| Other | 12 | 1.9 % |
| List of polls | ||
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