Ilya Lyubushkin trade: How much sense does it make for the Maple Leafs to reacquire the 29-year-old defenceman?

The Toronto Maple Leafs re-acquired defenceman Ilya Lyubushkin on Thursday night to stabilize their backend.

Lyubushkin played 31 games with the Maple Leafs during the 2021-22 season as he was acquired at the deadline. He left in free agency but has since been traded back to the Maple Leafs.

Toronto gave up a third and sixth-round pick to acquire him, but does that make sense?

Did the Leafs make a mistake by acquiring Ilya Lyubushkin?

The Toronto Maple Leafs re-acquiring defenceman Ilya Lyubushkin was a surprise due to his struggles with the Anaheim Ducks this season.

Lybushkin struggled defensively with the Maple Leafs as he is slow in the playoffs. He is a third-pair defenseman, but the Maple Leafs needed to make a move.

"We're in a jam ... Brodie has been better on the left, but he has played more on the right than anybody on our team," Toronto's coach Sheldon Keefe said, via Sportsnet. "When we have no righties in a jam like this, we have to trust and give these guys a chance to go out and play."

Toronto's D-Core has been an issue all season, and Lybushkin can play with Morgan Reilly again. However, that pairing isn't good enough to shut down the top lines of the Florida Panthers and Boston Bruins.

The Russian defender does block shots and hits, which is needed at the backend, but there were better fits, especially due to the cost for Toronto to acquire.

This fit will make more sense if the Maple Leafs acquire another defenceman before the March 8 trade deadline. Ilya Lyubushkin can be on the third line and play 12-15 minutes a night.

But, if Lybushkin is the only defenceman Toronto adds and he's supposed to play on the top line with Reilly, that could be a worry come playoff time.