Leafs defenceman Lybushkin absent from practice for birth of daughter
It’s been quite the week for Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman Ilya Lybushkin.
In the midst of a heated playoff series against the Boston Bruins, Lybushkin was absent from the Leafs practice on Friday for a valid reason.
The 30-year-old welcomed the birth of his first daughter with his wife, Diana. Taking to Instagram to share the good news, Lybushkin posted a photo of him holding his new bundle of joy.
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With their latest addition, Lybushkin’s family has grown to five, with two boys, Miroslav and Matthew, already in the mix.
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While he didn’t skate today, it remains unclear whether the 6-foot-2 blueliner will play in Game 4 against the Bruins on Saturday.
Suiting up for the first three games of the series, Lybushkin has logged one assist and a +/- rating of +2.
Going undrafted, the Moscow native made his NHL debut with the Arizona Coyotes in the 2018-19 season and was traded to Toronto in February of 2022. He got his first taste of the postseason that year in the Leafs’ first-round series against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
After brief stints with the Buffalo Sabres and Anaheim Ducks, Lybushkin was re-acquired by Toronto ahead of this season’s trade deadline as a piece of a three-team trade.
Leafs 2024 first-round playoff schedule
- Game 4: Saturday, April 27, Boston at Toronto, 8 pm ET
- Game 5: Tuesday, April 30, Toronto at Boston, TBD
- Game 6: Thursday, May 2, Boston at Toronto, TBD*
- Game 7: Saturday, May 4, Toronto at Boston, TBD*
*if necessary
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