The 29-year-old muscular stay-at-home defenceman Ilya Lyubushkin was acquired by the Toronto Maple Leafs from the Anaheim Ducks a week ago. Shortly after the Arizona Coyotes game finished on February 29, there was a transaction. The Maple Leafs handed their 2025 third-round selection pick to Anaheim in exchange for Lyubushkin for a second time. Anaheim kept half of Lyubushkin’s $2.75 million cap hit in exchange. Toronto also sent the Carolina Hurricanes a sixth-round pick in 2024. The Hurricanes consented to keep half of Lyubushkin’s remaining salary-cap charge in exchange.
The 24-year-old Russian left winger Kirill Slepets’ rights were subsequently given to Toronto by Carolina. At the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, the 5-foot-10, 165-pound Slepets was selected in the sixth round (152nd overall). Slepets currently plays in the KHL for Khabarovsk Amur. In 53 games this season, he has eight goals and nineteen points. Ultimately, the Maple Leafs acquired Lyubushkin for merely 25% of his contract hit ($687,500) and the rights to Slepets.
After joining the Maple Leafs, Lyubushkin has already participated in two games. What do these two games possibly tell us about his potential future value to the team?
Lyubushkin is back with the Maple Leafs for the second time. He was originally acquired by Toronto in exchange for Nick Ritchie, a conditional draft pick, Ryan Dzingel, and the Arizona Coyotes at the 2022 trade deadline.
Lyubushkin and Morgan Rielly were one of the Maple Leafs’ top four defensive core pairings during the 2022 postseason, but their performance was mediocre. Natural Stat Trick at 5-on-5 indicates that Lyubushkin was on the ice for 17 high-danger chances for and 15 high-danger chances against in Toronto’s seven-game loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning. That is a success percentage of 53%.
