Where does newly acquired defenceman Lyubushkin fit in with the Leafs?

SPORTSCENTRE Reporter

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Is newly-acquired defenceman Ilya Lyubushkin a potential fit for Toronto's top four? 

"What I see is just him getting into that mix and competing with the others and may the best defenceman win that spot," general manager Kyle Dubas said. 

Lyubushkin has averaged 18 minutes of ice time in Arizona this season while spending most of his five-on-five shifts alongside Jakob Chychrun.

"Let's get to know him better before making any sort of proclamations," said coach Sheldon Keefe. "The fact he does have experience playing with top defencemen is a positive, obviously."

The Leafs acquired Lyubushkin and forward Ryan Dzingel from the Arizona Coyotes on Saturday night in exchange for Nick Ritchie and a conditional second round pick. 

Lyubushkin is dealing with some immigration issues and is expected to join the Leafs on Tuesday when they play in Columbus. 

"We don't really have a lot of different guys with his utility," said Dubas. "A big, strong, right-shot defenceman, strong defensively, able to kill penalties and play with a little more physicality than we may have. He's kind of gone under the radar in Arizona and we thought, compared to the market on other types of guys, that it was a good bet for us."

Lyubushkin has racked up 94 hits this season to lead all Arizona defencemen. Jake Muzzin leads the Leafs with 82 hits.  

After the Maple Leafs completed a trade Saturday that sent Nick Ritchie and a pick to the Arizona Coyotes for defenceman Ilya Lyubushkin and forward Ryan Dzingel, Leafs GM Kyle Dubas spoke to the media Sunday morning detailing his thought process on the deal and what made Lyubushkin an attractive acquisition.

"I skated a little bit with him in the summer when they first