The National Hockey League season is over, but the rumors are circulating in Toronto while general manager Brad Treliving has already been mulling the idea of buying up a few contracts to reduce his payroll.
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According to Daily Faceoff hockey expert Frank Seravalli, Kyle Dubas’ successor as GM is considering dropping deals for defenseman TJ Brodie and goaltender Matt Murray. In the first case, this would save the organization $5 million, reducing its available space by $2.5 million in 2023-2024. The guard will become an unrestricted free agent next year.
However, it appears that Brodie’s case is controversial. An unnamed source familiar with the organization’s plans reportedly told the Toronto Sun that the Brodie rumors were false. Time will tell who is right about the defender’s future, who is set to become an unrestricted free agent next year.
As for Murray, his departure would not come as a surprise as injuries have hurt his cause and some masked men like Joseph Woll and Erik Kallgren have been given playing time to increase their value in the league. And let’s not forget about Ilya Samsonov, who did most of the work last year. The former Ottawa Senators and Pittsburgh Penguins have budgeted $6.25 million for the upcoming campaign.
The Leafs have about $9 million of leeway under the salary limit, according to CapFriendly.