Unsurprisingly, the Leafs elected to issue qualifying offers to several players including defenseman Timothy Liljegren and forward Nick Robertson. Of course, this does not mean that any of these players will accept their qualifying offers, but it does mean that the team will retain their rights for at least one more year.
In the case of Timothy Liljegren, that will be at least two more years, as the Leafs announced a proper, two-year extension for the 25-year-old at the same time.
Liljegren took a big step up in terms of his role with the club this season and it paid off as he matched his career high in scoring, even with fewer games played than past seasons due to a high ankle sprain which kept him out of the lineup for an extended period of time.