Late on Thursday, February 29th, the Anaheim Ducks announced just before the game that defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin was ruled out for trade reasons. Not too long after, the rumours began to heat up that the Ducks defenseman was on the move to Toronto. A familiar face winds up back in a familiar place, although under new management.
The deal broke about twenty minutes after the first rumblings transpired, and it went from just two teams to a three-team trade. Carolina got involved as a third-party salary broker for a pick.
The Trade
Carolina received a sixth-round pick to retain 25% of Lyubushkin’s contract, while Anaheim received a third-round pick for Lyubushkin. Anaheim also retained 50% of Lyubushkin’s contract, and Toronto acquired Lyubushkin at 75% salary retention.
This is a low-risk, high-reward move for Brad Treliving and the Toronto Maple Leafs who need an upgrade at the right defense position. If there was any time to make a move, it was now, especially with Mark Giordano going down with a head injury and being out for an undisclosed time. It was made known in the media that the Lyubushkin trade was not a reaction to the Giordano injury, and the trade was discussed before the Leafs game.
Final Thoughts
Lyubushkin, 29, was acquired by the Ducks from the Buffalo Sabres in the offseason for a 2025 draft pick. The 6-foot-2 right-shot defenseman has four assists, 51 penalty minutes, and is a minus-13 in 55 games this season.
Lyubushkin will be an unrestricted free agent (UFA) at the end of the season. His two-year, $5.5 million deal carries an average annual value (AAV) of $2.75 million. This is Lyubushkin’s second stint with the Toronto Maple Leafs. He appeared in 31 games for the Leafs in the 2021-22 season and contributed two goals and four assists during that tenure.
