Mike Grier was on the Buffalo Sabres roster when the franchise last skated in the Stanley Cup Playoffs all the way back in 2011. Now, in his role as San Jose Sharks general manager, he has a piece that may help his former organization make a long-awaited postseason return.
Michael DeRosa of The Hockey News listed Buffalo as one of the top potential destinations for Sharks defenseman Timothy Liljegren ahead of the 2026 NHL trade deadline.
"The Sabres also stand out as a possible landing spot for Liljegren," DeRosa wrote. "It is no secret that the Sabres should be looking to improve their depth on the right side of their blue line, and bringing in Liljegren would provide them with just that."
He named two Eastern Conference teams, the Detroit Red Wings and Pittsburgh Penguins, as other possible suitors for the 2017 first-round draft pick of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period previously reported the Sharks are "open to inquiries" on several of their defensemen ahead of the deadline, including Liljegren.
The Sabres are in the market for defensive depth as they've struggled to fill the void created by injuries to Michael Kesselring and Conor Timmins throughout the 2025-26 campaign.
San Jose Sharks' Timothy Liljegren represents an intriguing target for the Buffalo Sabres ahead of the NHL trade deadline
Buffalo general manager Jarmo Kekalainen, who took over the front office after Kevyn Adams was fired in mid-December, remained mostly quiet as he watched the team surge up the East standings with a 21-5-2 run leading up to the league's current break for the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Kekalainen should be more active after the NHL's roster freeze is lifted on Feb. 23.
The Sabres have become far too dependent on their top-four defense group of Rasmus Dahlin, Owen Power, Bowen Byram and Mattias Samuelsson in recent months. That quartet was skating monster minutes every game, and fatigue started to show before the Olympic hiatus.
Head coach Lindy Ruff didn't have an alternative, though. Timmins, who was having a significant impact on the penalty kill, has been sidelined since Dec. 18, while Kesselring has been in and out of the lineup because of various ailments.
Kesselring recently returned but he's yet to find top form since arriving to Buffalo over the summer. The club's other depth options, led by Jacob Bryson and Zach Metsa, have failed to impress and it's clear Ruff doesn't trust them to play important minutes in close games.
So, there's pressure on Kekalainen to find at least one more blueliner who Ruff will have confidence in to take some of the defensive burden off Dahlin and Co.
Liljegren feels like a solid fit on the surface, especially since he gained three seasons of playoff experience during his time with the Leafs.
The 26-year-old Sweden native has recorded 93 points (21 goals and 72 assists) in 306 appearances across seven NHL seasons with Toronto and San Jose. He's also racked up 475 blocked shots and 397 hits, displaying the rugged defensive acumen Buffalo currently covets.
In addition, Liljegren is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent at season's end, so there's no significant financial investment. That's important for the Sabres, who are already facing a financial crunch, especially if they want to re-sign star winger Alex Tuch.
Buffalo should also be able to land the right-shot defender at a reasonable price, perhaps a middle-round draft pick and/or a mid-level prospect, especially if the Sharks continue to fade out of the playoff race and start looking toward the future.
Those are all important elements for the Blue and Gold, who want to maximize the chances of ending their 14-year postseason drought without sacrificing the potential to finally build sustained success.
Ultimately, whether it's Liljegren or a different veteran NHL defenseman currently on the trade block, the Sabres shouldn't come away from the deadline empty-handed on the blue line.