When the Toronto Marlies opted to keep Timothy Liljegren in North America 12 months ago rather than returning him to Sweden, it was not a decision made out of necessity.
Already possessing defensive depth to dwarf any opponent, the Marlies’ opening night blueline boasted four names – Justin Holl, Travis Dermott, Martin Marincin, and Rinat Valiev – who each went on to log NHL minutes in the months to come, adding two others – Calle Rosen and Andreas Borgman – later fitting the bill as well.