Maple Leafs’ Liljegren placed on long-term injured reserve

The Toronto Maple Leafs have placed defenceman Timothy Liljegren on long-term injured reserve, the team announced on Saturday.

Defencemen Simon Benoit and Max Lajoie were both recalled from the Toronto Marlies.

Liljegren suffered the lower-body injury in Thursday’s 3-2 shootout loss to the Boston Bruins. The 24-year-old needed assistance to the trainer’s room and was favouring his left leg following a high-speed, first-period trip by Brad Marchand that sent him crashing hard into the end boards.

"He just didn't see the stick go in between his legs and can-opener him to make him go feet-first into the boards in the most dangerous area on the ice."

Timothy Liljegren is expected to miss significant time due to the Brad Marchand trip: https://t.co/HkHz90kbzh pic.twitter.com/H81wvgplRG

— luke fox (@lukefoxjukebox) November 3, 2023

Head coach Sheldon Keefe told reporters on Saturday that Liljegren has been diagnosed with a high ankle sprain.

The Leafs’ thinning blue line is already operating without Jake McCabe, who suffered a groin injury last week in Dallas. McCabe is doubtful for Saturday’s game against the Buffalo Sabres.

“I mean, you never like to see something like that, obviously,” Maple Leafs centre Auston Matthews said. “He is a really important player for our team and just never like seeing somebody like that go down.”

Liljegren joins defenceman Conor Timmins on long-term injured reserve. Timmins remains without a timetable to return.

Benoit and Lajoie were both signed as free agents this summer. Benoit has played two games with the Marlies and is coming off a 78-game season with the Anaheim Ducks. He had three goals and 10 points with 60 penalty minutes.

Lajoie has appeared in seven games with the Marlies. He played three games with the Carolina Hurricanes last season but mostly played in the AHL with the Chicago Wolves. He finished with 11 goals, 34 assists and 45 points across 63 games.

With files from Sportsnet’s Luke Fox