SAN JOSE — The San Jose Sharks have traded defenseman Timothy Liljegren to the Washington Capitals for a 2026 fourth-round draft pick originally owned by the Vegas Golden Knights.
It was not immediately clear if the Sharks would recall another defenseman from the Barracuda. Without Liljegren, the Sharks, who host the St. Louis Blues on Friday night, have six defensemen on their active roster.
Liljegren, 26, is in the final year of a two-year, $6 million contract he signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs in June 2024. A right-shot defenseman, Liljeren was acquired by the Sharks from the Leafs on Oct. 30, 2024, for a 2025 third-round draft pick, a 2026 sixth-round draft pick, and veteran defenseman Matt Benning.
In 110 games with the Sharks, Liljegren had 21 points and averaged just under 20 minutes of ice time per game. He was, as of earlier Friday, one of six pending UFAs on the Sharks roster, including forwards Ryan Reaves and Pavol Regenda, and defensemen Mario Ferraro, John Klingberg, and Vincent Desharnais.
Ferraro, Klingberg, and Desharnais will play in Friday night’s game. Reaves and Regenda will be healthy scratches.
The NHL trade deadline was Friday at noon (PST).
The Sharks (30-25-4) entered Friday three points back of the Seattle Kraken for the second and final wild card spot in the Western Conference, with two games in hand.
After Friday, the Sharks host the New York Islanders on Saturday, then begin a challenging five-game road trip next week with stops in Buffalo, Boston, Montreal, Ottawa, and Edmonton. The Sabres, Bruins, Canadiens, and Oilers all entered Friday in a playoff spot, and the Senators were four points out.