Dallas Stars defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin (undisclosed) has been ruled out for Friday's matchup against the Los Angeles Kings. The Russian blue-liner was injured on Tuesday against the Anaheim Ducks and may also miss Saturday's meeting with the San Jose Sharks. Lyubushkin's offensive contributions have been limited to 11 assists, but he ranks among the top three on the Stars roster with 82 blocks and 62 hits. Furthermore, he holds a plus-12 rating over 53 appearances, which is also one of the best marks on the team. Brendan Smith will step in for Lyubushkin against the Kings. The veteran has posted three points in 22 outings and is not a viable fantasy option.
According to Robert Tiffin, Dallas Stars defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin (undisclosed) exited early during Tuesday's contest against the Anaheim Ducks. Tiffin noted that the team did not provide an update on Lyubushkin's status after the game. The 30-year-old was sidelined during the entire third period. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status leading up to their next match on Friday evening against the Los Angeles Kings. Over his past nine contests, Lyubushkin has tallied three points (all helpers) with 11 hits, 17 blocked shots, and a +6 rating. If Lyubushkin were to miss time, fantasy managers should expect Brendan Smith to draw into the starting lineup and Cody Ceci or Esa Lindell to move up to the top pairing. Overall, Lyubushkin has been a reliable source for blocked shots in deeper formats, tallying 82 in 53 games.
The Toronto Maple Leafs have acquired defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin from the Anaheim Ducks in a three-team deal that also includes the Carolina Hurricanes. The Ducks receive a third-round pick from the Maple Leafs and will retain 50% of his cap hit while the Hurricanes net a sixth-round selection from Toronto as they are taking on an additional 25% of Lyubushkin's salary. The Russian blueliner spent 31 regular-season games and all seven postseason contests with the Leafs in the 2021-22 season before signing with the Buffalo Sabres the following offseason. He has just four helpers on a low-scoring Ducks team this season but he sits 11th in the league with 138 blocked shots and has also added 112 hits to his ledger across 55 games played.
Buffalo Sabres defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin (undisclosed) will come out of the lineup Wednesday versus Detroit. He suffered an undisclosed injury Monday versus Tampa Bay and will need some time off to recover. With Buffalo also in action on Thursday, Lyubushkin looks set to miss multiple games. Fantasy managers won't miss him, but the Russian rearguard has played an important role on the Sabres blue line, handing out 36 hits and throwing himself in front of 27 shots. Offensively, Lyubushkin has notched just one assist in 17 games. He will be replaced in the lineup by Lawrence Pilut.
Arizona Coyotes defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin will log his first minutes of the season on Thursday against the Blues after finally getting his visa issues sorted out. Forward Michael Chaput is set for his season debut as well. Neither player has fantasy value unless you are looking for hits, as Lyubushkin delivered plenty of those last season with 151 in 51 games. He also had 53 blocks and 18 penalty minutes with four points and a plus-four rating. Jordan Gross has been assigned to the taxi squad to make room for Lyubushkin, who made five outings for Lokomotiv Yaroslavl in the KHL earlier in the season.
Ilya Lyubushkin
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