Count me in the corner of fans eager to see more of Joseph Duszak.
Had the Leafs be in a more rebuilding position, I could envision a scenario where, in the next few years, we would see both Timothy Liljegren and Joseph Duszak get a significant shot at cracking the Leafs' roster and staying on it.
However, that's not the Leafs' situation. As a team trying to get into win-now mode, assets count when it comes to both depth and potential trade targets. In a perfect world, you'd see both Liljegren and Duszak on the Leafs at some point in 2020-21, but how realistic is that?
Liljegren is the better prospect, the better all-round skater and the better defensive defender of the two. He has been developing with the Marlies for 3 years now, which makes him the more NHL-ready (potentially) of the two prospects. As far as prospects go, his stock his high.
Duszak, in my opinion, is underrated. Watching him after getting called up by the Marlies (he started the season in the ECHL where he completed dominated), was awesome. He's a good skater and has good offensive skills. As you can imagine, he still has things to work on defensively. At 5'10, he is also a few inches shorter than Liljegren, which shouldn't matter in this day and age, but I will add here just for those that like to know. Coming from the NCAA after last season, he had 3 years there to develop, and as we know from other prospects, the NCAA is a great place for defenders to develop.
So my question is, if the Leafs had the opportunity to acquire a top-4 defender this offseason, but the cost was partly Liljegren, would you be okay with it, knowing that Joseph Duszak was perhaps a year or 2 still away?
Having watched Liljegren play in the NHL, though it was a small sample size, I thought he looked alright. Though, a 2020-21 featuring sophmore Sandin, plus Liljegren (who I guess aged out of his rookie status) and Lehtonen has me a little concerned.
My preference would be to parlay Liljegren into a top-4 defender, though it would take other assets as well, and have Duszak continue his development in the AHL (who hopefully have a season next year).
The difference between Liljegren and Duszak is astronomical. Trading Liljegren is not in plans unless they get that great D back they need and want. They see that D in Liljegren. He is barely 21yo. He is gonna be top-4 D soon. He is basically untouchable in eyes of the Leafs. Duszak is very nice offensive prospect, but the most he would be is top pairing AHL D with few stints in NHL on 3rd pairing. He would be a nice depth asset in bigger trade
Lily will be just another Leaf Dman prospect named Anton Stalman, lost in the shuffle than gets free to become a success story, just with another team.
The difference between Liljegren and Duszak is astronomical. Trading Liljegren is not in plans unless they get that great D back they need and want. They see that D in Liljegren. He is barely 21yo. He is gonna be top-4 D soon. He is basically untouchable in eyes of the Leafs. Duszak is very nice offensive prospect, but the most he would be is top pairing AHL D with few stints in NHL on 3rd pairing. He would be a nice depth asset in bigger trade
Have you actually watched Duszak play in the AHL? He reminds me a lot of Ian White. I think Duszak will one day be a solid NHL defender. As for Liljegren, my point is, if the Leafs could parlay him, say him and a 2nd rounder for Phillipe Myers, would the Leafs (and in this case, the Leaf fans) do it. There are other young defenders, in my opinion, that fit the need of this team more than Liljegren. Knowing that there is decent defensive depth in the minors is a bonus, especially on the right side.
Have you actually watched Duszak play in the AHL? He reminds me a lot of Ian White. I think Duszak will one day be a solid NHL defender. As for Liljegren, my point is, if the Leafs could parlay him, say him and a 2nd rounder for Phillipe Myers, would the Leafs (and in this case, the Leaf fans) do it. There are other young defenders, in my opinion, that fit the need of this team more than Liljegren. Knowing that there is decent defensive depth in the minors is a bonus, especially on the right side.
Of course I did. I watched him in university, in ECHL and in AHL. Myers was starting in AHL in Liljegrens 3rd AHL season. I dont think Leafs do that. Duszak is not gonna be NHL regular imo.
Lilja by miles, I watched a ton of Duszak at Mercyhurst, I mean he stood out vs lowest level of NCAA D1 competition, but like you have to vs schools like RMU or Holy Cross just to get an AHL deal lol, he wasn't just so far above everyone that makes you think that kids gonna be a stud NHLer soon
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