Timothy Liljegren could, by some accounts, be remaining in the nation's capital.
The Fourth Period's David Pagnotta reports that the defenseman and Washington are both keen on hammering out an extension. The Caps landed Liljegren in a March trade-deadline deal with the San Jose Sharks, surrendering a fourth-round selection in the 2026 draft to bring him aboard.
Speaking on the most recent installment of Daily Faceoff's DFO Rundown, Pagnotta relayed that he had heard the Capitals plan to sit down with Liljegren regarding fresh terms. With the blueliner due to hit unrestricted free agency, Pagnotta said the two sides intend to discuss an extension before long, noted that the interest runs both ways, and added that it remains to be seen whether they can push such a deal across the line.
Once he landed in Washington, Liljegren dressed for just four contests, posting an average of 16:54 in ice time per night. His combined output reached 11 points (one goal, 10 assists) across 47 appearances spread over his two clubs this season.
Should a new pact get done, Liljegren would become the third non-prospect rearguard who shoots right and is signed for the coming year, joining Dylan McIlrath and Matt Roy.
Bringing Liljegren back into the blue-line group could carry even greater weight than first assumed, given that Washington has yet to gauge how serious Rasmus Sandin's knee ailment is. As the regular slate wound down, Sandin had been manning the right flank on Washington's top pairing.
There's already some rapport between bench boss Spencer Carbery and Liljegren, since Carbery worked as an assistant in Toronto across two of the years the defender spent skating for the Leafs. Liljegren's strongest offensive numbers came as a Leaf, when he twice reached 23 points — once across 2021-22 and again during the 2023-24 campaign.
Figures from AFPAnalytics project that an extension for Liljegren would run about $3.3 million across three years. His cap charge during the season just finished sat at $3 million.
Until July 1, the Capitals hold sole negotiating rights to the Swedish rearguard.