Toronto Maple Leafs: Checking Out the Senators Roster

The Toronto Maple Leafs appear to be on the verge of acquiring goalie Matt Murray from the Ottawa Senators.

This is a weird trade for the Toronto Maple Leafs depending on the context you look at it in:

They need a goalie, and here is a cheap one who has 2 x Stanley Cups.   Looks good from that angle.

But then again, he hasn’t been good in years, and even with 50% of his salary cap hit retained, he’s still only slightly cheaper than the Mrazek deal they just paid (ever so slightly) to get out of.

As I said yesterday, it hardly makes sense to pursue Murray when you just got rid of Mrazek, unless there is more to the deal.  So while I’m just speculating, here is, for fun, while we wait to see if the deal goes down, a list of players the Leafs might like off the Senators Roster. (Info from capfriendly.com).

Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators Potential Trade

Connor Brown

The ex-Leaf is now 28, and makes $3.6 million dollars against the cap.  I like Brown, but at that cost I don’t.  Brown is – at best – a hard working, 20 goal guy.   But the Leafs have a ton of players in their system with more upside who they can play for one-third of the cost.

I don’t really see Brown as a fit.

Erik Brannstrom 

A former 15th overall pick back in 2017, Brannstrom was part of the Mark Stone deal, but the Senators don’t seem to have given him much of a chance.  He’s a lefty with no immediate spot on the Leafs, but he young defenseman with upside are always a welcome addition.

Artem Zub 

A righty who is 26 , has some size, a little offense and very good, low-event 5v5 defense, Zub is the player I would most covet off the Senators roster (realistically, at least. Clearly it would be nice to have Tkachuck, Chabot etc).

The Murray Trade Talks are mysterious because no one really knows what role the Toronto Maple Leafs see Matt Murray as talking – is he a tandem acquisition, a buy-low acquisition or just someone the Leafs want because they’ll get paid to take him?

All we really know is that Ottawa was going to get paid by Buffalo to take on Matt Murray’s deal, and so the Leafs should also be getting paid something to do this.

If someone wants to pay you to take a 28 year old two-time Cup winning goalie, it’s kind of hard to say no.  Either way, I highly doubt Matt Murray is the Toronto Maple Leafs starting goalie when they  play their first game this October.