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The Dallas Stars returned to the Western Conference Finals for a third straight season. They would also lose in the conference finals for a third straight year. This led to a change behind the bench, as the Stars fired Pete DeBoer. Still, the roster is in a precarious situation. They have five free agents currently, while also having under one million in cap space. Now the Stars will be looking to make moves this NHL offseason, and one could be trading away Ilya Lyubushkin.
It has been a busy offseason for the Stars' award-winning GM Jim Nill. It started with the Stars re-signing Matt Duchene to a four-year $18 million deal. They would also re-sign Jamie Benn, Nils Lundkvist, and Mavrik Bourque. Further, they traded away Mason Marchment, sending him to the Seattle Kraken. With limited cap space left for the Stars, they may need to make some more moves. One potential rumored move has been the movement of Mathew Dumba, but the Stars could move a different blue liner in Lyubushkin.
The Russian-born skater went undrafted on his way to the NHL and would sign a one-year, two-way contract with the Arizona Coyotes in May of 2018. He broke into the NHL in the 2018-19 season and spent his first three seasons in the league with the Coyotes. In the 2021-22 campaign, he would be traded mid-season to the Toronto Maple Leafs. After finishing the season in Toronto, Lyubushkin signed with the Buffalo Sabres, spending one year there before being moved to the Anaheim Ducks. He would not even make it a full season in Anaheim before being sent back to Toronto as another mid-season trade. This past summer, he signed a three-year deal with the Stars.
The 31-year-old defender is coming off a solid season with Dallas. He played in 80 games, the most of his NHL career. Further, he has 14 points, tied for the second most of his career. Finally, he spent 17:23 per game on the ice, another mark near the top of his career numbers. Still, with the Stars having under a million in cap space, moving the $3.25 million contract of Lyubushkin could be attractive for Dallas.
The Red Wings need a veteran defender
The Red Wings need to fix their defense. They gave up the 12th most goals in the NHL last season. The Wings upgraded their goaltending situation already by trading for John Gibson from the Anaheim Ducks. Detroit, which had just $18.4 million in cap space, also has traded Vladimir Tarasenko to the Wild to open up cap space. The move could clear another $4.75 million in cap space for the Red Wings. Still, they need to use some of that space to bring in a defenseman.
The defense is currently led by Moritz Seider and Simon Edvinsson in the top rotation. Seider was great this past season, playing in all 82 games, scoring eight goals, and having 38 assists. He was also big on the power play with four goals and 20 assists. Still, he has a minus-five plus/minus rating. Meanwhile, Edvinsson played in 78 games with seven goals and 24 assists. Beyond the top two guys, Ben Chiarot played in 81 games, but had just 13 points and a minus-14 rating. Further, Justin Holl played in just 73 games, with eight points and a minus-seven rating. Lyubshkin would be a reliable upgrade to the bottom four defenders on the rotation.
Chicago fills a need on the blue line
The Blackhawks need a player at the rearguard next season. The only move Chicago has made at the blue line is the buyout of TJ Brodie. The Blackhawks have just three blue liners under current NHL contracts, with others under two-way and AHL contracts. Alex Vlasic and Connor Murphy lead the way, setting up the top rotation. Vlasic played all 82 games last year and was solid, with four goals and 26 assists. Meanwhile, Murphy played in 68 games last year and was one of the team leaders in ice time.
Still behind those two, there is not much left. Sam Rinzel played in just nine games, while Kevin Korchinski played in just 16. The Hawks do have Wyatt Kaiser, who is a restricted free agent, and played in 57 games for the team last year. Still, they need someone who can be reliable on the backend of the squad. Lyubushkin has played in 68 or more games in each of the last four seasons. He will not provide an offensive spark, with a career high being 15 points, but he will help on defense.
The Russian blue liner also has had a positive plus-minus rating in two of the last three seasons. Only two players on the Hawks had a positive rating last year, with one being Rinzel, who played in just nine games. With the Blackhawks having over $34 million in cap space, bringing on a reliable defender at a low cost would make sense for the franchise.
Could Lyubushkin be moving to San Jose?
Another team in need of consistent help on the blue line is the San Jose Sharks. The Sharks have made one move on the blue line already this year, buying out Marc-Edouard Vlasic. Vlasic played in just 27 games this year for the Sharks, but the move still leaves San Jose short-handed on the blue line. They will return Mario Ferraro and Timothy Liljegren, both in the final years of their contracts. Ferraro played in 78 games last year, while Liljegren played in 67 for the team. Henry Thrun also returns, but played just 60 games for the team.
Further, Jan Rutta and Jack Thompson are both free agents. Rutta appeared in 54 games, while Thompson played in just 31. The Sharks now have a young group of players on the blue line, all of whom will see their contracts expire at the end of next season. With two years left on the deal for Lyubushkin, his proven record of playing many of the games in a season, and his experience, he would be a perfect fit for this young Sharks defense.
Lyubushkin is not the best defender available on the market. Still, the Moscow native is reliable and someone who has experience. That makes him an attractive option for teams that need depth at the blue line.
