Music: {allcanada} Liljegren to make season debut for Maple Leafs on Saturday

Friday, November 4, 2022

{allcanada} Liljegren to make season debut for Maple Leafs on Saturday

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Timothy Liljegren will make his season debut for the Maple Leafs against the Boston Bruins on Saturday (7 p.m. ET; NHLN, CBC, SN360, NESN, SN NOW).

General manager Kyle Dubas announced on Sept. 21 that the defenseman had sports hernia surgery and that he was expected to be out six weeks.

Liljegren, who skated with Morgan Rielly at practice on Friday, had 23 points (five goals, 18 assists) in 61 games last season.

"The body feels good so I'm excited to be back in full training," Liljegren said. "It should be fun. I think [Rielly and I] played a couple times (together) last year as well. Obviously (he is) a very good defenseman so I'm just going to try to support him as much as I can.

"I was very happy with how my season went last year. I think I took steps throughout the season."

Coach Sheldon Keefe said Liljegren's absence in the early part of the season was felt by the Maple Leafs.

"I'm just hoping for Liljegren to go out there and be himself," Keefe said. "He was in a real nice groove for us through the tail end of the regular season for us last year and had become an important member of our team both at 5-on-5 and penalty kill so it's been tough not having him through camp and the early part of the season."

Forward Wayne Simmonds was recalled from Toronto of the American Hockey League on Friday and played right wing on a line with center Pierre Engvall and left wing Calle Jarnkrok at practice.

Simmonds has one assist in three games this season.