The Toronto Maple Leafs have acquired defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin from the Anaheim Ducks. The deal formally sent Lyubushkin from Anaheim, who retained 50 percent of his cap hit, to the Carolina Hurricanes, who retained another 25 percent, and then to the Leafs. Lyubushkin carries a $2.75MM cap hit, meaning that Toronto is only due $687,500 against their cap – less than a league-minimum contract.
In return, Toronto sent Anaheim a 2025 third-round draft pick and Carolina a 2024 sixth-round pick. The trade broke after Lyubushkin was surprisingly absent from Anaheim’s Thursday night game against the San Jose Sharks.
This marks the second time that Toronto has traded for Lyubushkin, with the previous coming during the 2021-22 season when they sent Nick Ritchie and a 2025 second-round pick to the Arizona Coyotes for Ryan Dzingel and Lyubushkin. Lyubushkin would go on to play in 31 games for the Leafs, recording six points and 25 penalty minutes. He signed with the Buffalo Sabres in the following summer and was traded to Anaheim from Buffalo last season. The formerly undrafted defenseman has totaled 334 games across his journeyman career, adding 43 points and 181 penalty minutes. He joined the league in the 2018-19 season, making his debut with the Arizona Coyotes after four seasons with the KHL’s Yaroslavl Lokomotiv.
Toronto has also received the rights to Kirill Slepets from Carolina, to facilitate their retention of Lyubushkin’s cap hit. Slepets has played in the KHL since the 2018-19 season, growing up through Russia’s juniors league. He remains unsigned in the NHL. Carolina originally drafted him in the fifth round of the 2019 NHL Draft.
Another “contender” playing the middleman?
If youre not gonna use the cap space at the TDL, may as well buy some picks.
This trade makes no sense from a Carolina standpoint. Why do you retain salary for a conference rival & give up a prospect for a 6th round pick?
unsigned 5th round pick from 5 years ago. not a prospect
Still makes no sense to help a conference rival for a 6th round pick
Because they got a 6th for it? The guy is likely NEVER coming to the western hemisphere. They recouped a little draft capital for 343750K. They got a 6th for 1/3 of a league minimum deal. And probably opened doors for future deals.
Sure the 6th rounder likely never makes it in the NHL either, but for $343,750 why not? What if that 6th becomes the next Henrik Zetterberg?
I’ll tell you why not: because Carolina has no business giving up 50 cents in unnecessary salary if they have any pretensions to being players in the trade market. They’re down to being able to pick up league minimum without moving cash out for every dollar that comes in.
Sixth rounders are functionally worthless. Out of the last twenty years, guess how many of the 640 6th round picks have so much as played a single season in the NHL? 58. Of those, I count six guys who at least at some point have been stars: Linus Ullmark, Mark Stone, Cam Atkinson, Anders Lee, Darcy Kuemper and Jesper Bratt.
For a team with no cap worries, retaining salary for a 6th rounder might be worth buying into that lottery ticket. For a Carolina, it isn’t.
Toronto traded a 2nd in 2022 for him. Now a 3rd. Hilarious franchise.
Next year a 1st?
A 2nd and 3rd and 6th**
To be fair on TOR, you are ignoring the salary cap which is why they couldn’t keep him the first time
Of course teams retain salary. Leafs are massively overpaying. Blue Jackets were happy to retain on Foligno because Toronto donating them a 1st round pick
I thought Carolina was big game hunting for Pettersson? I don’t buy it. This is more of a Carolina move that we are used to seeing. Zzzzz
Salary retention is a joke.
Giving up a 3rd rd pick even with retention is a very expensive price to pay for a guy who is a depth defenseman who will most likely play on the 3rd pairing and pk. Only benefit of adding him is he is right handed. This team drives me crazy
They *really* need that right-shot d-man though. And need help on the PK like you mentioned. Badly.
Maybe they’re also hoping it’s another Schenn experiment, where a cheap, depth guy clicks with Rielly. I wouldn’t bank on it myself, but I can see the thinking.
Yeah I get the deal and it does fill a need for sure, just feel like a 3rd is expensive for a depth dman that’s a Ufa especially when the leafs are already so low on picks in the next 3 drafts.
That’s fair. The 2025 draft looks brutal in particular. No picks til the 5th round lol. Wouldn’t surprise me if Treliving tried to acquire a pick or two during the summer.
Now go and get Adam Larsson for Liljegren and Robertson. Add this years 1st and throw Tolvanen in the deal if need be. Seattle retains 50% on both players as well.