In a strategic move on the chessboard of professional hockey, the Toronto Maple Leafs have brought a familiar face back into their fold, securing the services of defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin from the Anaheim Ducks. The transaction, stripping away team boundaries, saw the Maple Leafs orchestrate a complex three-party dance, with the Carolina Hurricanes also playing a pivotal role.
The trade’s mechanics saw the Ducks enhance their future prospects by obtaining a third-round selection in the 2025 NHL Draft from the Maple Leafs’ stockpile. Meanwhile, the Hurricanes pocketed a sixth-round pick for the 2024 NHL Draft, courtesy of the trade winds blowing from Toronto. The Maple Leafs, in a bid to bolster their roster, welcomed the promising talent of forward prospect Kirill Slepets from the Hurricanes’ developmental pool.
Lyubushkin’s return to Toronto marks a significant juncture in his career. The 29-year-old blue-liner had previously donned the Maple Leafs’ jersey for 31 games in the 2021-22 season. With an eye fixed on the horizon of free agency, he skates in the last year of his current contract, which holds an average annual value of $2.75 million—a deal inked with the Buffalo Sabres in the summer of 2022.
In an economic juggling act, Anaheim has agreed to shoulder half of Lyubushkin’s financial imprint, with Carolina agreeing to absorb the remaining fifty percent.
This season’s campaign sees Lyubushkin armed with a modest arsenal of four assists, garnered over the course of 55 games with the Ducks. With a wealth of experience spanning 334 NHL games, the stalwart defenseman has built a resume that includes stints with the Arizona Coyotes, Sabres, and Ducks, amassing a total of 43 points (consisting of five goals and 38 assists) and adding an assist across seven Stanley Cup Playoff contests.
Lyubushkin’s journey mirrored the road less traveled; bypassed in the draft, he persevered to establish a four-season tenure with the Coyotes before being dealt to the Maple Leafs in early 2022. Now, he re-enters a Toronto sanctum where the aim is to tighten defensive leaks that currently see the team conceding an average of 3.15 goals per game.
Meanwhile, Kirill Slepets, the 24-year-old forward yet to ink an NHL deal, brings a fresh wave of potential after having impressed with 15 points in 46 games for Amur Khabarovsk of the Kontinental Hockey League. The Hurricanes had originally picked him in the fifth round of the 2019 NHL Draft.
As the background fades on this strategic acquisition, the Maple Leafs gear up with renewed defensive depth, hoping Lyubushkin’s tenure will be marked by a significant contribution to their championship aspirations.
