In an effort to shake up the team’s midseason doldrums, the
team has moved a major cog on the blueline and top pairing Dman Olli Juolevi in
a deal for a younger more offensive version in Timothey Lijegrin.
Olli was drafted by the Devils 3rd overall in
2022 and came into the league as a much hyped player with unlimited
potential. He then spent some time with
the Preds and Sabres before we picked him up, eventually landing on the first
pairing with Miro. At 26 years of age,
Olli has provided a stable presence on the blueline, but his offense has not
developed as the team had hoped.
Now with Lijegrin, the team has hoped that by the time he
reaches Olli’s current age of 26 he will be a more well-rounded version of Dman
at about the same price tag. Lijegrin is
having a better offensive year than Olli as well which can only help in his
offseason rerate and development. Lijegrin was drafted 14th overall
in 2024 by Dallas and has spent his entire career in the one organization.
Liegrin has stated that he is excited to take his services
to the Canes and to join a new dressing room.
In Carolina, Lijegrin will be slotted in on the second pairing with Erik
Brannstrom. This pairing has great
potential to be together for years as both players are 24 years of age.
Rumor is that the team is not done tweeking the lineup with
a hopes of pushing the team’s play over the hump of in/out of a playoff
position. But, as always, the playoffs
is the goal, once in anything can happen.
11/5/2023 - 256 words
