Now that Timothy Liljegren has been traded to the San Jose Sharks, the Leafs new projected starting lineup has been revealed. With the recent trade of Timothy <a href='https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/maple-leafs-trade-timothy-liljegren-to-sharks-for-two-picks-matt-benning/sn-amp/' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>Liljegren to the San Jose Sharks</a>, the Leafs will have to move along without him in their defensive lineup. The game on Monday was when the Leafs had a 6-4 victory over the Winnipeg Jets, snapping their 8-game winning streak. They got big performances from John Tavares and his hat trick, along with 3-point contributions from Max Pacioretty and William Nylander on a newly formed second line. The high-powered offence of the Leafs showed up. But Liljegren being a healthy scratch for much of the year was an indication that the writing was on the wall as far as his eventual departure was concerned. He didn't take part in the last game. <div align='center'><blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'><a href='https://twitter.com/MapleLeafs/status/1851757239448572367'> </a></blockquote></div> On Wednesday's practice, head coach Craig Berube took to business as usual, going forward with the same winning formula as in Monday's game. The new second line remained intact, which signaled Berube was confident in the chemistry between Nylander, Pacioretty, and Tavares. The top line of Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, and Matthew Knies remained together as well, keeping consistency atop the lineup. As the Leafs prepared to face Seattle on Thursday, the defensive pairings remained the same, further cementing Liljegren's dwindling role within the rotation. As you can see based off the projected lineup below, Liljegren would have been on the 4th defensive pairing, which proves he would rarely ever get the chance to play. <div align='center'><blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'><a href='https://twitter.com/markhmasters/status/1851655904233505268'> </a></blockquote></div> Jake McCabe and Chris Tanev are playing as the Leafs' new shutdown defensive pairing, while Morgan Rielly and Oliver Ekman-Larsson fill out the top four. Meanwhile, Simon Benoit and Conor Timmins formed the third pairing, which has left Liljegren in the role of frequent healthy scratch throughout most of the season. This defensive structure has become the norm as his opportunities dwindled despite his talent, leading to increased speculation about his future. Liljegren was a healthy scratch for what would have been the 10th time this season prior to even being dealt, but once upon a time in his career, he didn't go unnoticed, with reports suggesting <a href='https://www.hockeylatest.com/nhl-team/toronto-maple-leafs/six-more-teams-connected-to-maple-leafs-timothy-liljegren-in-the-midst-of-trade-saga' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>there was quite a bit of interest league-wide</a>. That being said, with the Leafs needing to attend to some salary cap matters, Liljegren became a probable trade piece, and now his trade to the Sharks is a fact, enabling room to accommodate new faces in lieu of it. Liljegren did make sure to take the time to share a heartfelt post thanking all his fans. <div align='center'><blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'><a href='https://twitter.com/Leafslatest/status/1851797956359291249'> </a></blockquote></div> With Timothy Liljegren traded, the Maple Leafs move on without him this season. The core does remain the same, and plenty of youngsters like Conor Timmins get to keep their chance, but it means depth on D changes with the absence of Liljegren. How the Leafs respond without him remains to be seen, but considering the fashion of their start, they are already doing just fine without him.