Let's not jump to conclusions about the Leafs upcoming season, there's still a lot to be done in the off-season for Dubas. Who knows Murray might have a great season.
Leafs 2022 Off Season and Preseason
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If I'm Matthews or Nylander and this is the goalie that is supposed to get you close to a Cup in the last two years of your contract, I think you're not a happy camper and are already starting to look elsewhere.
Also, by signing Murray, the Leafs now have about $6M in cap space left to (a) accommodate raises for RFAs Rasmus Sandin and Pierre Engvall, (b) upgrade a forward group that lost Ilya Mikheyev, Ondrej Kase, Colin Blackwell and Jason Spezza, (c) re-sign Ilya Lyubushkin or find another rugged right-shot defender, and (d) explore the backup goalie market.
There has to be a bigger move in the cards for Dubas going forward, right?
Also, by signing Murray, the Leafs now have about $6M in cap space left to (a) accommodate raises for RFAs Rasmus Sandin and Pierre Engvall, (b) upgrade a forward group that lost Ilya Mikheyev, Ondrej Kase, Colin Blackwell and Jason Spezza, (c) re-sign Ilya Lyubushkin or find another rugged right-shot defender, and (d) explore the backup goalie market.
There has to be a bigger move in the cards for Dubas going forward, right?
Surely, there must be a reason to this madness, yes?
Question: Matthews is in the final 2 years of his current contract and has a NMC in 2023-24. Should the Leafs trade him now or let him potentially walk in 2 years?
The Leafs did well with Jack Campbell, he was a career backup until he arrived and played well…if he is asking for $5 mil a year they should let him walk.
It would be career suicide for any TOR GM to trade Matthews. If he walks in 2yrs, it won't be for lack of trying to keep him. Money will be no object. If he leaves, it won't be because of money, and only the next two years of team and management performance can inform if he'll want to stay or not. Far too early to even guess at that.
Any increase in the salary cap over the next 2 years will be eaten up by Matthews next contract. Expect him and McDavid to hit $14 million per season.
The Leafs have to do something dramatic to get pass Round 1. If Matthews walks in 2 years time, the Leafs get nothing. Mind you, it does open up a lot of cap room. (The Tavares contract ends the year after.)
Look what the Jays and Raptors did. Big trades, championship rewards.
"Over time, they’ve added William Nylander, followed by Mitch Marner, followed by Auston Matthews, in a three-year haul that is almost second to none in hockey. But since selecting Matthews and the good fortune of winning the draft lottery, the Leafs have stumbled in trying to enhance their roster and stumbled certainly in attempts to hold on to their first-round picks."
SIMMONS SUNDAY: Maple Leafs' cupboard looking rather bare (msn.com)
SIMMONS SUNDAY: Maple Leafs' cupboard looking rather bare (msn.com)
With Murray only playing 46 games in the last 2 seasons.
Looks like the leafs are going backwards.
so what you're saying is that we are going to see Leaf fans throw jerseys on the ice this season?
As a Sens fan who watched every game last year I can tell you there was a stretch where he looked pretty darn good.Apparently the Leafs and Senators are in talks for goaltender Matt Murray. Not sure what I think of this. Murray looked awful in Ottawa
Maple Leafs, Senators continue 'intensified discussions' about goaltender Matt Murray
The Toronto Maple Leafs continue to have "intensified discussions" with the Ottawa Senators regarding goaltender Matt Murray, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported on Sunday.www.sportsnet.ca
But he's got a history of not being able to stay healthy and that issue dominated his time in our nation's capital.
Some of those health issues were concussion related as well.
He's got to big a ticket for the Sens payroll to absorb given their limited attendance figures so that compiled with the emergence of journeyman Anton Forsberg made him expendable.
The future for Ottawa in nets is 21 year old Mads Sogaard the organization believes.
And as I complete this it looks like the Sens just swapped Filip Gustavsson for Cam Talbot. Talbot although 35 was an all-star for Minny last year and is still decent and about half the cost of Murray. So Pierre Dorion's plan makes sense now.
The scuttlebutt in Ottawa was that when they sent Murray to Bellville last year it upset him and soured the relation with the team and D.J. Smith their coach.
Almost every goalie has good stretches. That doesn't inspire me much. He's also damaged goods having sustained several injuries over his career, including multiple concussions. Even in his last season in Pittsburgh (2019-2020) his numbers weren't good - a 2.87 GAA and .899 SV%.
I just don't think it was worth the risk bringing him in. He's going to cost $4.7 million against the cap for the next 2 years, He's clearly lost confidence in his ability, and that is a recipe for disaster playing under the microscope in Toronto.
That all being said what were the options:
1) Re-sign Jack Campbell. Wasn't happening.
2) Darcy Kuemper who's coming off a SC win in Colorado but has an injury history
3) Marc-Andre Fleury who would have cost less than Murray
4) Ilya Samsonov who has underwhelmed in Washington the past two seasons
5) Find a trade partner. I would have looked at Alex Nedejlkovic in Detroit, Mackenzie Blackwood in NJ or Semyon Varlamov in NY. Shit how was Colorado able to finagle a deal with the Rangers for Georgiev, did Dubas even inquire about him??
Solid move: Talbot and Forsberg - I like that pairing.
It'll be interesting to watch them this year.
They're gearing up to go after Giroux once free agency starts rumor has it.
He lives in Kanata and is from the area so that's the hook..........
Not surprised the Leafs have declined to re-sign Campbell.
"Still not convinced that Campbell is the goalie the Leafs need. He was mediocre until a year ago so what changed?"
(161) Maple Leafs | Toronto Escorts Review Board Forum | Terb
"Still not convinced that Campbell is the goalie the Leafs need. He was mediocre until a year ago so what changed?"
(161) Maple Leafs | Toronto Escorts Review Board Forum | Terb
