Toronto Maple Leafs: The Maple Leafs have acquired forward Ryan Dzingel and defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin from the Arizona Coyotes for forward Nick Ritchie and the Coyotes choice of a 2023 3rd round pick or a 2025 2nd round pick.
Chris Johnston: There is no salary retention in the deal.
Puck Pedia: The Maple Leafs are $159,000 over the salary and will need to make a move by 5:00 pm today. Sending any player to the AHL will make them compliant.
Anthony Petrielli: “Curious to see what the Leafs have in mind for these guys because you can argue neither should dress when the team is fully healthy (making it a vote of confidence for the young dmen). Lyubushkin can be steady defensively and an engaged Dzingel has some impact plays in his game.”
James Mirtle: “I like Lybushkin. Even if just as a defensive third-pair option. To get something useful at a position of need for a cap dump you didn’t want makes this a pretty good trade. And the Leafs have room to do more, assuming they demote Dzingel.”
Craig Morgan: “GM Bill Armstrong said the Coyotes tried to get Nick Ritchie this summer but lost out. As for the choice of picks. Armstrong said if the third round looks strong in 2023, they’ll go that route. Otherwise, they’ll wait until 2025 for the second-rounder.”
Puck Pedia: If the Maple Leafs were to waive Dzingel, and he wasn’t claimed, his full $1.1 million would be buried in the minors.
Ryan Dzingel, acquired by TOR, is a similarly one-dimensional player at this point in his career, a speedy depth player with good defensive impacts but very little offence. Takes a lot of penalties too. #LeafsForever pic.twitter.com/VwRPcCUSPo
— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) February 20, 2022
Nick Ritchie, acquired by ARI, is a physical depth forward who takes lots of penalties. Decent at creating solid chances for himself off the forecheck, could not finish them /at all/ while he was with the Leafs. #Yotes pic.twitter.com/JHNhvosT4C
— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) February 20, 2022
Here’s Ritchie’s card. He’s been… quite bad this season pic.twitter.com/D9T4YnUQZm
— dom at the athletic (@domluszczyszyn) February 20, 2022
Here are Lyubushkin’s 2020-21 microstats courtesy of InStat and AllThreeZones.
Not especially creative with the puck, not especially great at defending the rush, but responsible in his own end and willing to battle for pucks. #LeafsForever pic.twitter.com/Wb7vAJa5RW
— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) February 20, 2022
