Insider reveals Maple Leafs' plans for pending UFA Ilya Lyubushkin

Acquired for a sixth and third round picks by the Leafs on March 1st, Ilya Lyubushkin may not be hitting the open market, contrary to previous reports. TSN's Chris Johnston reported in his article for The Athletic yesterday that the Leafs have shown an interest in potentially bringing the hard-hitting, 30-year-old defenseman back.

Lyubushkin left the Leafs in the summer of 2022 and signed a two-year deal with the Buffalo Sabres before being traded to the Anaheim Ducks. Lyubushkin's contract saw him carry a cap hit of $2.75M which was far too rich for the Leafs at the time due to cap constraints.

With almost $20M in cap space this time around, however, Evolving Hockey has projected a 1-year deal for Lyubushkin that carries an AAV of $1.475M, which is significantly cheaper than his previous deal and would be able to fit into the Leafs' salary cap picture.

Lyubushkin is a penalty killer, blocks shots and is not afraid to throw his weight around, which is the perfect mix for a third-pairing defenseman. The problem in Toronto has simply been that they've had to count on Lyubushkin to play a lot higher than that in the lineup, often pairing him with Morgan Rielly.

If the Leafs plan to bolster their blueline, adding another big name into the fold, it would allow Lyubushkin to play in a more optimal spot lower down in the lineup, which could be of great benefit to the Leafs.

In 74 games between the Anaheim Ducks and the Toronto Maple Leafs last season, Lyubushkin finished with 168 blocks and 176 hits while averaging 17 minutes per game.

Source: The Athletic
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