The Anaheim Ducks announced today that the National Hockey League (NHL) club has acquired Toronto’s third-round selection in the 2025 NHL Draft in a three-team trade also including Carolina. Toronto will receive defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin, with the Ducks retaining 50 percent of Lyubushkin’s salary. Carolina will receive Toronto’s sixth round selection in the 2024 NHL Draft, with the Hurricanes retaining 50% of Lyubushkin’s remaining salary. Toronto also receives the reserve rights to forward Kirill Slepets in the multi-team trade.
Lyubushkin, 29 (4/6/1994), recorded four assists (0-4=4) with 51 penalty minutes (PIM) in 55 games with Anaheim this season. Acquired from Buffalo for Minnesota’s 2025 fourth-round selection Aug. 18, 2023, Lyubushkin led Anaheim in blocked shots (138) and ranked 11th among NHL leaders in the category. He also ranked second among Ducks leaders in shorthanded time on ice (162:06) while logging 2:57 shorthanded time on ice per game.
The 6-2, 200-pound defenseman has appeared in 334 career NHL games with Anaheim (2023-24), Buffalo (2022-23), Toronto (2021-22) and Arizona (2018-22), earning 5-38=43 points with 181 PIM.
The Moscow, Russia native began his professional career with Lokomotiv Yaroslavl of the KHL from 2013-18, recording 12-24=36 points with a +33 rating and 260 PIM in 262 games. He set KHL single-season career-highs in points (4-7=11), goals, assists and plus/minus (+15) in 2015-16.
