Hard-hitting defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin has changed teams this season, moving from the Toronto Maple Leafs to the Dallas Stars. The Russian blueliner will enter his seventh year in the NHL with his new three-year contract, carrying a cap hit of $3.25 million which he signed on July 1, 2024.
Brad Treliving hasn’t done enough to earn the benefit of the doubt from Maple Leafs fans. And I will admit to having a negative reaction to the Oliver Ekman-Larsson signing when I first saw it.
If Monday’s free agency frenzy is a reminder of anything, it’s about the transient nature of life in professional sports. One minute you’re considered a prized asset, the next minute you’re rendered expendable and this is true of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
There’s a pretty long list of offensive defencemen that Maple Leafs fans have blissfully chased out of town. Jake Gardiner, Larry Murphy, and Bryan McCabe are prime examples of that but players like Tomas Kaberle were not without their detractors as well, and John Klingberg…well…what I can say, sometimes running players out of town is justified.
The Maple Leafs’ need for a tougher blueline has been evident for a long time. There still seems to be some confusion about what a tougher defence should look like.
The Toronto Maple Leafs have 11 pending UFAs, but not all of them will be returning. It is unlikely that Mark Giordano, T.J. Brodie, Ilya Samsonov, and Martin Jones will be on the roster next season, while Matt Murray, Jake Muzzin, and John Klingberg all spent the season on long-term injured reserve.
With only one, maybe two players on the Leafs’ untouchables list, that leaves several players on the table in offseason trade talks.
It’s the same ol’ story. Eight playoff runs since 2016-17, one series win, and an 0-6 record in winner-take-all games. Time after time this Toronto Maple Leafs team gets so close they can taste it, and then all hope disappears in one clear swoop.
One of my least favourite narratives to come out of the Florida series last year was that the Maple Leafs ran into a hot goaltender and despite their best efforts, Bobrovsky’s heater was too much for the Leafs and that’s why they were sent home in 5 against Florida.
After the trade deadline, the Toronto Maple Leafs’ defense has become bigger, more physical, and more intimidating. The additions of Simon Benoit (who came during the offseason), Ilya Lyubushkin, and Joel Edmundson (who came at the trade deadline) have reshaped the team’s approach to defense, particularly as it prepares for the playoffs.
Remember all the excitement when the Toronto Maple Leafs signed top European free agent Mikko Lehtonen in 2020? After months of hearing how incredible he was in the KHL, it was exhilarating.
The Toronto Maple Leafs are making a push for a Stanley Cup this season without a doubt. They made their intentions known at the trade deadline with several acquisitions including Joel Edmundson, Connor Dewar and Ilya Lyubushkin.
The Leafs will see a vastly different lineup tonight in Carolina from what they used yesterday night. TJ Brodie returns to the fray after being a healthy scratch for the last two games, stemming from the fact he has had a rough season to this point where he has been a net negative on every pairing he has been assigned to.
A week ago, the Toronto Maple Leafs re-acquired 29-year-old physical stay-at-home defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin from the Anaheim Ducks. The trade came shortly after the Arizona Coyotes game ended on Feb.
In an unfortunate turn of events for the Toronto Maple Leafs, defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin‘s return to the team took an unfortunate twist during his first game back.
After a 26-day lull in what was supposed to be an active trade deadline, the ice broke two days ago when Chris Tanev was traded to the Dallas Stars in a three-team deal.
The first brief run for Ilya Lyubushkin in Toronto went fairly well, so why rock the boat with an unknown player, right? Right? To kick off his first trade deadline in Toronto, Brad Treliving has opted for going the low risk route rather than making a significant splash.
The Toronto Maple Leafs have finally put an end to the radio silence on the transaction front, and it comes in the form of a familiar face.
The Anaheim Ducks are trading defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin to the Toronto Maple Leafs. Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic, “Official trade call hasn’t
The Toronto Maple Leafs have reportedly acquired defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin in a three-way trade involving the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Carolina Hurricanes.
The Sabres traded defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin to the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for a 2025 fourth-round pick.
The Buffalo Sabres are activating defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin ahead of tonight’s game, putting him right into the lineup. Lyubushkin hasn’t played since November 28th while dealing with an undisclosed injury.
Lyubushkin has impressed early on after signing a two-year, $2.75M AAV contract with the Sabres in free agency last offseason.
There are a lot of newer and current songs on the list, which makes sense given the young average age of the Sabres.
The Buffalo Sabres have signed defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin to a two-year contract worth $2.75 million per season.
Newly acquired Maple Leafs defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin learned a lesson in Tuesday’s game against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Defending a 2-on-1 rush is no longer about controlling where the shot comes from.
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