Ilya Lyubushkin Out with Illness, Simon Benoit Steps In After 3-Game Absence
The Toronto Maple Leafs will be without their newly acquired defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin due to illness, leaving defenceman Simon Benoit to return to the lineup.
Ilya Lyubushkin out with Illness and will be replaced by Simon Benoit
As the Toronto Maple Leafs prepare to face off against the Philadelphia Flyers tonight, it has just been announced that defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin will be out of the lineup due to illness. Defenseman Simon Benoit will make a return to the lineup versus the Flyers after a 3 game absence.
The Toronto Maple Leafs will also be without forward Mitch Marner for the fourth straight game and he also did not make the road trip.
Flyers make big changes versus Leafs
As the Philadelphia Flyers have not defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs in the last eight outings, it appears they have made changes to their lineups. Captain Sean Couturier will be a healthy scratch tonight and veteran forward Cam Atkinson will also be in the pressbox as a scratch as the Flyers hope to get the two points as they try and clinch a playoff spot.
Lyubushkin by the numbers
Lyubushkin has spent his career playing across four NHL teams, the Anaheim Ducks, Toronto Maple Leafs, Arizona Coyotes and the Buffalo Sabres. It is also the second time he has been traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs in his career.. The first time he got traded was from the Arizona Coyotes to the Leafs in a trade on February 19th 2022 sending him and Ryan Dzingel to the Leafs in exchange for Nick Ritchie.
The Russian defenseman went undrafted and only started his NHL career back in 2018 after signing a contract with the Anaheim Ducks. Before that, he evolved with Yaroslavl Lokomotiv in the KHL playing over 200 games across 4 seasons. In 62 games this season across both the Anaheim Ducks and the Toronto Maple Leafs, Lyubushkin has 6 points which are all assists. He is known as a stay at home defenseman and is currently evolving on a pairing with Maple Leafs defenseman Morgan Rielly.
His stint so far with Toronto has been short, playing only 7 games and has two points so far. He is expected to bring stableness and roughness to the Leafs fragile defensive core along with the acquisition from the Washington Capitals, Joel Edmundson.
Hopefully it is not a serious illness for the russian defenseman and we see him back in the Blue and white very soon!
| POLL | ||
Who will win tonight's game between the Philadelphia Flyers and Toronto Maple Leafs? | ||
| Toronto Maple Leafs | 257 | 45.7 % |
| Philadelphia Flyers | 305 | 54.3 % |
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