The Toronto Maple Leafs are looking to shed the final season of goaltender Matt Murray's contract for salary cap relief, Chris Johnston of NorthStar Bets reports.
Murray is on Toronto's books for $4.6 million in 2023-24 before he hits unrestricted free agency next summer. The Maple Leafs' preferred route is a trade, per Johnston, but the club may also be able to use the league's second buyout window later this summer if a deal doesn't come to fruition.
Teams that have any player go to arbitration are granted an additional buyout window after the final hearing. Goaltender Ilya Samsonov is currently unsigned as a restricted free agent and may need to use a third party to get a contract done.
Since the Ottawa Senators retained 25% of Murray's salary when they traded him to Toronto, a buyout would have financial implications for both teams. Here's a breakdown, courtesy of Cap Friendly.
| Season | Base salary | Buyout cost | Cap hit (TOR) | Cap hit (OTT) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-24 | $8M | $2.66M | $687K | $229K |
| 2024-25 | $0 | $2.66M | $2M | $666K |
The Maple Leafs are currently $8.8 million over the $83.5-million cap after a busy start to free agency that saw the club bring in Tyler Bertuzzi, Max Domi, John Klingberg, and Ryan Reaves. Toronto can get $5.625 million in relief by placing Jake Muzzin on long-term injured reserve but still needs to rid itself of approximately $3.2 million.
Murray's contract includes a 10-team no-trade clause.
The 29-year-old's debut season in Toronto was marred by multiple lengthy injury absences. Murray went 14-8-2 in 26 appearances, posting a .903 save percentage and 3.01 goals against average.
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