Insider believes that the Leafs may be on the verge of making a deal involving Nick Ritchie
Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman revealed something interesting regarding the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Arizona Coyotes during Hockey Night in Canada's 32 Thoughts segment on Saturday night.
Arizona Coyotes defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin is a healthy scratch for tonight's game against the Los Angeles Kings. The scratch is not believed to be related in any way to the play of Lyubushkin, but rather because there may be a trade in the works between the Yotes and the Leafs.
According to Friedman, the Leafs have had interest in the 27-year-old defenseman for some time and perhaps the most interesting detail about Friedman's report is that Nick Ritchie could also be involved in the deal.
Lyubushkin, is a 6'2 right-handed defenceman who would fit in well with the Leafs system. He is a physical presence that can move players in front of the net and he's been playing top-4 minutes for the Coyotes this season. The Russian defender has eclipsed the 100-hit mark on multiple occasions in his NHL career.
Meanwhile, Ritchie could benefit from a change of scenery and if he lands in Arizona, he'll likely be given plenty of ice time with which to prove his worth and showcase what he can do for the remainder of this season and next season.
For now, the Lyubushkin to the Leafs is just a rumour but he would definitely fit well in Toronto if there's a deal to be made.
*As a bit of an update at 9:26pm ET, Craig Morgan (who covers the Coyotes for The Athletic) has confirmed Friedman's report. A deal is rumoured to be close with Lyubushkin, but there are multiple teams involved*
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