Former Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Timothy Liljegren is ready to turn the page and start his life with the San Jose Sharks.

one day later he was traded In exchange for defenseman Matt Benning and two draft picks, Liljegren spoke to the Sharks media via 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 Wednesday night.

“Healthy all year round. They just didn’t pick him for the games,” Liljegren said of whether he felt he had a fair chance under Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube. via Curtis Pashelka of Mercury New. “I don’t know. We had a lot of competition, a lot of good defense and things didn’t go the way I wanted in camp. I didn’t play my best hockey either. So I wasn’t happy with the way I played.”

Liljegren had been mired in trade rumors all offseason, with reports emerging Thursday that the Leafs had been shopping him all summer but received minimal interest until the Sharks came along. What didn’t help his case was being passed by Conor Timmins and Philippe Myers on the depth chart, failing to make a good impression on Berube to secure a longer look.

Liljegren only managed to appear in one game for the Leafs this season and his performance in training camp left a lot to be desired. All of that, combined with the impending return of Jani Hakanpaa, meant the writing was on the wall for the 17th pick in the 2017 NHL Draft.

“I think looking back at training camp, I think the guys just got over it a little bit,” Berube told reporters at the morning skate about why things didn’t go well for Liljegren this season. “He has skill, he can skate and move the puck. Wish you all the best. “It just didn’t work here.”

Morgan Rielly and William Nylander They expressed their sadness at seeing Liljegren become emotional while wishing him the best in his next chapter in Northern California. While there is no doubt his tenure in Toronto came to an unceremonious end, he will always fondly remember his time here. as evidenced by his farewell post on Instagram he shared Wednesday night after the trade became official.

Now that the saga is finally over, he hopes to get the chance to play for a young Sharks team in the midst of a rebuild. without having problems with your work visa.

“I was excited,” Liljegren said. “Young team, a lot of talent, so it’s been a little stressful since that call with packing all my stuff and the flight and everything, but I’m happy to be here and I’m excited.”