There was unfortunate news on Tuesday that Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Matt Murray was suffering from a concussion and that no timeline was given for his return. Despite the bad news on his health, and potentially his future in the NHL, it hasn’t stopped chatter from emerging, stating that the Maple Leafs could try to trade him or buy him out this summer due to his frequent absences from the lineup.
When Murray was brought in from the Ottawa Senators last summer, Toronto thought it had fixed their issues in between the pipes. But they kept coming back as Murray kept missing action, sparking speculation that he could be changing teams again this offseason, according to Sportsnet’s Luxe Fox.
When Fox was asked if the Maple Leafs could move on to a Ilya Samsonov-Joseph Woll tandem for 2023-24, the reporter explained that they could, but it would all depend on how both goalies do for the last stretch and during the playoffs. Fox suggested the Leafs could trade Murray to a team looking to reach next season’s cap floor as the veteran netminder’s full annual average value is $6.25 million through 2023-24. However, Toronto only carried $4.687 million, with the Senators retaining the rest.
However, I feel like a contract buyout might be the easiest route. The Maple Leafs could also buy him out before the two-week buyout window opens in mid-June, at a reasonable cap hit. It would come at $687,500 for 2023-24 and $2 million in 2024-25, when the salary cap is projected to spike.
It sounds like a move could come for Murray, but which one?
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