The Toronto Maple Leafs pulled off a big 4-3 overtime win Saturday against the New York Rangers, one of the NHL’s top teams. Leafs fans have been relatively happy with Toronto’s recent hot streak as a group – the Buds have gone 13-3-0 since Jan. 20 – but there’s always room for speculation about roster moves leading up to the league’s March 8 trade deadline, and moves have already began in Toronto, with the Leafs’ latest trade acquisition, defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin.
That said, the Leafs are one of the NHL’s most salary-cap-strapped teams, with only $144,000 in cap space to try and get better by the trade deadline. That means Buds GM Brad Treliving is going to have to be creative, the way he was when he dealt for Lyubushkin last week. Involving a third team to make the money work under the
trades for is signed beyond this season. Cost certainty is important for all GMs, and if the Leafs can bring in a player for the short-and-long haul – the way they did last season when they landed veteran defenseman Jake McCabe – they’re going to do so.
Not every team is going to pull off blockbuster deals, and that’s perfectly OK. Some teams feel they need only a sprinkle of depth additions, as they know the Stanley Cup playoffs are a war of attrition, and it makes a difference to have many options as the post-season unfolds. This is what we’d file the Lyubushkin deal is all about; he’s not going to be a first, second, or third star of the game, but Lyubushkin is a bigger body who embraces the physical element of the game. He can be asked to play on the third pairing without fear of being overwhelmed with the responsibility of playing on a top Cup contender like the Leafs.
