Ilya Lyubushkin News

Lyubushkin had two goals, 12 assists, 41 SOG, 38 PIMs, and a -2 plus/minus through 68 games with Buffalo in 2022-23 and has been traded to Anaheim for a 2025 fourth-round pick that originally belonged to Minnesota. The 29-year-old defenseman joins his fourth NHL team in the last three seasons and has five goals, 39 points and 130 PIMs through 279 career NHL games.

Lyubushkin has missed the Sabres previous nine games due to a lower-body injury but will return Monday and replace Jeremy Davies. The stay-at-home defensemen had one assist, 18 PIMs, and eight SOG through 17 games prior to the injury.

The Sabres' will be without Lybushkin for an indefinite amount of time after it was announced he was hurt after blocking a shot in Buffalo's overtime loss to Tampa Bay their last time out. The 28-year-old had been playing his usual stay-at-home hockey that we have come to expect, posting an assist, 18 PIMs and eight SOG through his first 17 games prior to the injury averaging only 15:24 ATOI in a bottom-pairing role.

Lybushkin missed the Sabres' previous outing Saturday vs. Chicago and will miss Buffalo's game tonight vs. the Red Wings. In six games since joining the Sabres in the offseason, Lyubushkin has one assist and is a +2 rating while playing a modest 15:01 TOI per night.

Lyubushkin has played well for the Maple Leafs since being acquired from the Coyotes but he will be the one to sit with Jake Muzzin returning from a concussion.

Lyubushkin was pulled from Tuesday's game for precautionary reasons after being punched by Taylor Hall. Carl Dahlstrom is expected to replace him in the lineup on Thursday but the Maple Leafs don't expect Lyubushkin to be out long-term. Monitor his status heading into Saturday's game in Philadelphia.

Lyubushkin is a big (6'2", 201 lbs) rugged defenseman, who is in his fourth year in the NHL. Lyubushkin has just one goal and 18 assists (19 points) in 180 career NHL games but has 498 hits and 246 blocked shots. Lyubushkin was a key penalty killer for the Coyotes and should serve a similar role as a third-pairing defenseman for the Maple Leafs.

The Coyotes now have a total of six players currently in COVID-19 protocol with Lyubushkin and Christian Fischer being added on Sunday. Unless he tests out, Lyubushkin will be out until at least the middle of next week.

Lyubushkin has become a steady, stay-at-home defenseman for the Coyotes in 2021. While the 26-year-old only has two points (1G / 1A) in 31 games, he has 77 hits and 52 blocked shots while playing 15:30 ATOI.

Lyubushkin missed Saturday's game vs. the Blackhawks but will draw back into the lineup on Tuesday. Lyubushkin, who has two assists in 35 games this season, is expected to replace Kyle Capobianco on the blueline.

Lyubushkin had four assists in 41 games with the Coyotes this season. The 25-year-old defenseman came to the NHL after spending six years in the KHL. Lyubushkin will likely serve as the Coyotes No.6/No.7 defenseman in 2019-20.

Lyubushkin is expected to play in Pittsburgh because Alex Goligoski is out with a lower-body injury. The 24-year-old defenseman has averaged just 12:10 TOI/gm in five games with the Coyotes this season. Lyubushkin has posted an ugly 47.3 CorsiFor%, -8.5 CF% rel with Arizona this season, so this is a big downgrade from the veteran Goligoski.

Lyubushkin has averaging just 12:25 TOI/GM in the first three games of his NHL career. Lyubushkin will be replaced by Jordan Oesterle on the Coyotes third pairing.