The Maple Leafs practiced at the Ford Performance Centre on Friday.

---

Brad Treliving is gearing up for a busy week.

"I think there are areas we still need to address," the Leafs general manager said. "Will we be able to address them all by the deadline? No. That's just the reality. And not every team will. But is there a way that we can help ourselves between now and next Friday? That's what we are going to try to do."

Treliving made his first deadline-period add on Thursday night. Toronto acquired defenceman Ilya Lyubushkin, who is a pending unrestricted free agent, from the Anaheim Ducks in a three-way deal that also included the Carolina Hurricanes. Anaheim received Toronto's third-round pick in 2025 and retained 50 per cent of Lyubushkin's salary. Carolina received a sixth-round pick in 2024 and retained 50 per cent of Lyubushkin's remaining salary.

"The number he came in at ($687,500) provides some flexibility," Treliving said. "It adds to our depth. It gives us a body at a position of need and allows us to still seek other opportunities over the course of the next week."

Treliving joked that assistant general manager Brandon Pridham, the team's salary cap guru, "is working on the toes now. He has run out of fingers." But he also noted there is room to maneuver.

"We are going to try to be creative and see where we can help ourselves."

And Treliving is willing to part with the Leafs first-round pick in the upcoming draft. In fact, he wouldn't rule out using it to acquire a player on an expiring deal.

"In the right deal — with where our team is at — you want to help the team," Treliving said. "You have to be careful with first-round picks for short-term help, but if it makes sense — at the end of the day, when you do the final analysis, if you think it is going to have an impact — you have to look at every option."

The Leafs have won eight of nine games, but remain eight points behind the Florida Panthers and Boston Bruins in the Atlantic Division. Toronto has played two fewer games than Boston and one fewer game than Florida.

After buying at previous deadlines, Toronto doesn't have a lot of draft capital to move. The Leafs don't have a second-round pick in the next three drafts. They don't have a pick in the first four rounds of the 2025 draft.

Even after acquiring Lyubushkin, there is a need on the blue line.

"You can never have too many defencemen," Treliving said. "You just can't if you want to get to where you want to get to."

There's potential to add at every position.

"We continue to look at any opportunity that becomes available," Treliving said. "We continue to look at our defence. We look at our forward group. We have three goaltenders right now. I think we are going to stay at three for today, but we will see what tomorrow brings."

---

Lyubushkin is cost effective, but there are plenty of other reasons why he was attractive to the Leafs.

"One of the things we need to improve on is stopping plays and killing plays," Treliving said. "He has the ability to kill plays when we look at our data. It varies when you go from different teams to different situations, but he was a strong denier of the blue line. He has the ability to kill plays. He has some heaviness to him."

Lyubushkin averaged 17 minutes and nine seconds of ice time in 55 games with Anaheim, including almost three minutes a night on the penalty kill. He led the team in blocks and was fourth in hits. The 29-year-old from Moscow doesn't produce much offence with only four assists on the year.

"He is ultra-competitive, physical and strong," said head coach Sheldon Keefe. "He doesn't back down to anyone or any situation. He plays the game hard and honest."

There's a built-in comfort level with the player, because Lyubushkin was also acquired by the Leafs during the 2021-22 season and played 31 regular season games down the stretch plus seven more in the playoffs. That was the only time Lyubushkin has suited up in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Treliving spoke to Keefe and a few players to get a better sense of whether Lyubushkin........

© TSN