Before Ilya Lyubushkin suffered a head injury on Saturday when he was crunched into the corner boards by New York Rangers rookie forward Matt Rempe, there was little choice but for Treliving to add another defenceman prior to the National Hockey League trade deadline on Friday at 3 p.m.
We should have a clearer idea of the extent of Lyubushkin’s injury on Monday, when the Leafs gather at Scotiabank Arena for the morning skate ahead of a crucial Atlantic Division match against the Boston Bruins.
Either way, the pressure on Treliving to acquire another defenceman has increased a few notches. Already without the concussed Mark Giordano, the Leafs have to hold their breath that the Lyubushkin injury won’t keep him out of the lineup for an extended period. The physicality and depth Lyubushkin was brought in to provide when he was acquired from the Anaheim Ducks was going to have to be augmented, and that was before he got hurt.
Treliving has to make something work with two fewer assets after he traded a third-round pick and a sixth-rounder in the Lyubushkin deal.
The names don’t change — Matt Dumba, Sean Walker and Alexandre Carriere are among the right-shooting defencemen who have been linked to the Leafs in speculation. It’s incumbent on Treliving to get another deal done.
