Maple Leafs prospect Timothy Liljegren said he went through an amazing growing experience a year ago in Buffalo.

That’s when he, and about another 100 draft-eligible players, showed up at the annual NHL combine to be poked and prodded — mentally and physically — by any and every team that wanted to take the measure of him.

“It was a far different experience than I expected it to be,” said Liljegren, as he prepared for Saturday’s Game 1 of the Calder Cup final against the Texas Stars. “You learned how to talk to people a little bit better, and to get pressed a little bit by teams. It was a great experience to be there. I think I grew up a little bit by getting roasted by some teams.”

Teams would show him clips, and question his playmaking decisions. “They want to see how you handle it. I handled it pretty good.”

So he has some sympathy for his friend and former roommate Rasmus Dahlin — the presumptive No. 1 overall pick later this month — and everyone else at this week’s combine that culminates with the for-show physicals Saturday after five days of meetings with teams in Buffalo.

“I think he’s handling it pretty well,” Liljegren said of Dahlin. “He’s going to be a great player.”

The combine has become far more formal over the years, certainly since its move to Buffalo from Toronto. At its core, it’s a last chance for teams to get to know a player before the draft with one-on-one interviews. And on Saturday, it’s physical testing.

Some teams ask questions they already know the answer to, says Mark Edwards, founder and director of scouting for hockeyprospect.com.

“It’s a good way to get a feel for the kid because you know if he’s telling the truth,” said Edwards, adding players have been known to hide embarrassing situations that teams have nonetheless dug up. “It’s the last phase of questioning for the guys they’re really targeting.”

Players are not likely to move up or down the draft board based on interviews, but Saturday’s physical fitness tests can affect draft position.

“They’re looking for a red flag, more than anything,” said Edwards. “It’s weight issues, or an agility issue. Just stuff that’s a stopper. A player might drop from the third round to the seventh.”

Leafs GM Kyle Dubas returned to Toronto on Friday to be with the Marlies’ Calder Cup run after having spent the week with staff in Buffalo meeting the prospects. He said the Leafs weren’t interested in off-the-wall questions, but wanted players to be more introspective.

“You have 20 minutes with each player, so you’re trying to get a glimpse into their personality. You’re not grading them, saying: ‘Hey you got this answer right and this one wrong.’

“You learn about them on the ice, and by talking to their coaches and to their families. Then you tie it together with what they tell you when you meet them to give you a light into what their character and personality is.”

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For Dubas, a player’s interview or physical isn’t likely to change whether the Leafs are interested as much as it will indicate to the team what to get working on right away to help a player develop, should he be drafted.

“You can learn what the physical limitations may be,” said Dubas. “What we learn in terms of testing is of great value not in terms of saying: ‘This player is not going to be Leaf or yes he is.’ But if we draft this player, here’s the work we need to do immediately to get him to reach his potential.”