The Toronto Maple Leafs were looking to fill their need for a right-shot defenceman and found just the player they were looking for. They have acquired Ilya Lyubushkin from the Anaheim Ducks for a 2025 third-round pick. The Carolina Hurricanes are also involved in the trade, as they are going to take on 50 percent of his cap hit and gain a 2024 sixth-round pick from the Maple Leafs in the process. Lyubushkin will be heading to Toronto at 75 percent retained, making his cap hit $687,000, which is $87,500 less than the NHL minimum salary. They also receive the signing rights to Kirill Slepets.
The Maple Leafs have been searching for defencemen who could play on the right side. With Nikita Zadorov and Chris Tanev already being traded and Noah Hanifin’s names in the air, Lyubushkin was the go-to guy and seems to have been in the works for a bit. He is at his best when he keeps things simple and doesn’t try to do much offensively; he is a huge physical presence on the blue line and ready to put his body in front of the puck any time he can.
Maple Leafs Strengthen Blue Line
While he only has four points on the season, Lyubushkin was averaging 17:09 of ice time a night and is the same physical presence he was when he was with Toronto back in the 2021-22 season when he was traded to Anaheim for Nick Ritchie and a 2025 second-round pick. With 138 hits and 112 blocks (11th in the league) so far this season, we all know what the Maple Leafs hope Lyubushkin brings to the table: physicality and an intelligent defensive game.
The Leafs’ defensive core has seen all types of formats, and during their recent seven-game win streak with Morgan Rielly suspended, things are finally looking in place. Simon Benoit with Jake McCabe and Timothy Liligren with T.J. Brodie looked solid. Now it’s just finding that partner for Rielly. Unfortunately, Mark Giordano went down with a head injury during their recent game against the Arizona Coyotes, so that opens up the idea of going with the Rielly-Lyubushkin pairing. He is in the final year of his contract before entering free agency this summer, and with a cap hit that low, it keeps open the idea of more moves being made.
Slepts is a 24-year-old who was drafted by the Hurricanes in the fifth round during the 2019 NHL Entry Draft. He is a winger who can play both left wing and right wing. He is unsigned and plays in the KHL (Kontinental Hockey League) with Amur Khabarovsk. In 53 games, he has eight goals and 11 assists for 19 points.
Ducks Get More Assets For The Rebuild
The Ducks continue their rebuild of stocking up prospects and picks with this trade by giving up an unrestricted free agent this summer for a third-round pick. Defencemen like Pavel Mintyukov are showing much promise this season, and Cam Fowler is leading the charge. While they traded away Jamie Drysdale for Cutter Gauthier earlier this season, they still have prospects like Rodwin Dionicio, Olen Zellweger, and Tristan Luneau in the system, so they still seem fine on defensemen.
Related: 2024 NHL Trade Deadline Tracker
The Ducks free up $1.375 million with this trade for a total cap space of $33 million for any more trades they intend to be a part of. That could be selling off any other players, potentially Adam Henrique and Sam Carrick, or being brokers in trades and retaining some cap to receive another pick in the process.
The Hurricanes jump in to retain some cap to acquire the Leafs’ 2024 sixth-round pick. That brings them to a total of $1.285 million in cap space to play around with until March 8.
The Leafs needed a right-shot defenceman and got what they needed. Lyubushkin will be rejoining a system and defence corps he is familiar with and likely will rejoin with his old linemate, Rielly. This trade could be the start of more things to come with the cap retention and more moves potentially being made. The Ducks continue the rebuild, gaining more cap space and an additional pick to use in the draft or any other trades.