In the ever-shifting spectacle of NHL strategics, the Toronto Maple Leafs have augmented their armory by acquiring defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin and the rights to forward prospect Kirill Slepets, engaging in a three-way transaction featuring the Anaheim Ducks and Carolina Hurricanes.
The cost? A third-rounder winging its way to the Ducks in the 2025 draft—who are also keeping half of Lyubushkin’s cheque—and the Hurricanes, claiming a sixth-rounder for shouldering a quarter of the salary burden.
Yesterday’s disappointment echoed faintly as Toronto reconciled with missing out on Calgary’s Chris Tanev, now pledged to the Dallas cadre. Yet today they embraced pragmatism, choosing a path well-trodden by bringing back Lyubushkin, a stoic figure they once leased from Arizona’s deserts. The big Russian’s stint included 31 regular-season contests decked in the Maple Leaf and an additional seven playoff appearances, delivering exactly what was asked of him. His formidable presence and simplistic playstyle had left an indelible impression, particularly on Toronto’s venerated ‘Big Four.’
Lyubushkin’s no-frills repertoire boasts a formidable shot-blocking prowess, an area in which he dominates league stats. Were it not for the prohibitive cost— a prospect plus a second-rounder, commodities Toronto has lavished in years past—the Leafs could have seen Tanev alongside Rielly, shoring up their defense. Yet Tanev’s comparables were a luxury out of reach, and in Lyubushkin, Toronto found a financially palatable alternative. His duties with Anaheim had diminished to supporting roles, providing a crutch for fellows like Pavel Mintyukov as they acclimate to the NHL’s ferocity.
Thus, a fair trade emerges—a mid-tier talent for mid-tier draft capital.
Intriguingly, the Maple Leafs will bear less than $700,000 against their fiscal ceiling for Lyubushkin’s contributions. It’s a minor narrative in the grand scheme, hardly worth the tongues set wagging. They’ve not sought a luminary, merely muscle and subpar five-on-five figures for their third pairing. Yet it leaves them exposed, lacking a third-round pick to bait future trades, a curious circumstance against the backdrop of Dallas’s catch.
And what of Anaheim? With a signature and a modest investment of $2.75 million, they groomed Lyubushkin, deploying him as mentor before dispatching for future gains—a masterstroke in asset flipping. Carolina, in contrast, has simply traded cash for a dive into the draft deep.
Ultimately, it’s a stratagem of necessity, a coy game where every chip—be it player or pick—poses a gamble that franchises must deftly navigate to claim the coveted cup. In this grand chessboard that is the NHL marketplace, Toronto maneuvers with measured ambition, while their partners savor their modest windfalls.
