Three assets the Canucks could receive in a Miller trade with the Leafs

#2: Timothy Liljegren

After a turbulent draft year in which his play was interrupted by a battle with mononucleosis, Timothy Liljegren fell down the draft board and was scooped up by the Leafs with the 17th pick in the 2017 NHL entry draft. Now, in his fifth season in North America, the Swedish defenceman is discovering his game at the NHL level.

At 22-years-old, Liljegren’s once questionable decision making is nearing readiness, making him a dangerous offensive threat once he refines his poise. In his first full NHL season, the right shot defenceman currently has 10 points in 34 games, which is nearly a 25-point pace over 82 games. Not bad for a guy that is averaging under 16 minutes of ice time per game.

Offensively gifted, and incredibly skilled, Liljegren has quite the set of abilities. His strong skating and puck handling makes him an elite defenceman in transition, and his quick trigger from the point consistently creates offensive opportunities. As he becomes more comfortable at the NHL level, his defensive decision making and confidence in his own zone will grow, rendering him a reliable 200-foot player.

Liljegren is the most NHL ready young defender that Toronto has to offer, and would make an immediate impact with the Canucks. Though, with his entry-level contract expiring with the passing of this season, Liljegren will be an RFA. He certainly won’t force Vancouver to sell the farm on some sort of bridge deal, but a long-term contract may come in at an unpopular cap hit. Patrik Allvin would have to decide if Liljegren is worth betting on.

#3: Matthew Knies

The Leafs picked Matthew Knies with the 57th overall pick in the 2021 NHL entry draft, and the 19-year-old forward has already provided them first-round value. In his rookie season with the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers, Knies has dominated the opposition. The 6-foot-3, 205-pound American currently has nine goals and 25 points in 26 games. Recently Knies caught the eye of more onlookers when he was named to the United States Olympic team in Beijing. In the tournament, Knies had two points in four games as the US was eliminated without a medal.

The young prospect’s physical game is certainly his biggest asset. A lot of young players develop into big-bodied threats with a growth spurt and don’t know quite how to utilize their newfound size, but Knies is an outlier. He uses his size and excellent knowledge of positioning to be the first player on pucks, winning nearly every puck battle when driven. His awareness away from the puck allows him to become an under the radar scoring threat, finding space after exploiting uneven matchups.

At the Olympics, Knies showed that he can be effective against pro players, and that he could likely make an impact at the AHL level right away. However, as he continues to develop his puck skills and defensive prowess, Knies will benefit from another season or two in the NCAA. He is already a tremendous leader, but more time to mature and learn at school is never a bad thing. His physicality and hockey IQ might be just what the Canucks need to regain a league wide reputation like they had in 2011: difficult to play against.

With Rick Dhaliwal of CHEK TV and The Athletic reporting on Thursday that the Leafs, after inquiring about Miller, have possibly decided to go another way, perhaps I got ahead of myself in becoming excited about these prospects. However, with the Leafs also reportedly interested in Vancouver defenceman Luke Schenn, there is a world where the Canucks pursue these assets without losing the services of Miller.

It is worth mentioning that one of Toronto’s top prospects, Rodion Amirov, who has been mentioned as a trade chip before, was diagnosed with a brain tumour on Wednesday. This effectively takes him off the table as some things are far more important than hockey, and what is most important right now is that Dubas and the Leafs provide him the best support and care that they can. The entire hockey world wishes Rodion the best, and you can reach out to him with words of support at Amirov@goldstarhockey.com.