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The Toronto Maple Leafs Should Not Consider Any Buy-Outs This Year

By Marco Rovere |
Nov 20, 2021; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman TJ Brodie (78) is bodychecked off the puck by Pittsburgh Penguins forward Zach Aston-Reese (12) in the third period at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 20, 2021; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman TJ Brodie (78) is bodychecked off the puck by Pittsburgh Penguins forward Zach Aston-Reese (12) in the third period at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports

There is no need for the Toronto Maple Leafs to buy out any players this year.

The NHL’s buyout window officially opened but the Toronto Maple Leafs have no reason to join in the festivities.

The only player the Leafs could conceivably buy-out is Matt Murray, but even that isn’t necessary.

Matt Murray has been speculated by just about everyone as a candidate, and hilariously, Frank Severelli also speculated that Brodie could be bought out, but get real.

The Toronto Maple Leafs Should Not Consider Any Buy-Outs This Year

Brodie is easily tradable and won’t be bought out, while Murray will come in at just around $4.6 million and could be. 

As for the rest of the league, so far we’ve only seen the Vancouver Canucks execute the bold move, doing so with defensemen Oliver Ekman Larsson, eating money until 2030.

If the Leafs were to buy out Matt Murray, they would take on a $687,000 cap hit for the 2023-24 season, then a $2 million penalty for the 2024-25 season. As attractive as that may sound to new Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving, the team must avoid this.

With Auston Matthews and William Nylander set to get new deals from the team and the NHL’s salary cap finally(!) expected to increase in 2024-25, the Leafs need all the flexibility they can get.

All signs are pointing towards more than a $2 million AAV increase for both Matthews and Nylander, meaning the increase in cap would already become a non-factor. If you have sunk money into buying out Murray, it’s going to hurt.

Matt Murray’s contract is not that bad, the Leafs don’t have to buy him out because he can always go on the LTIR.  If they do want out of the deal, it probably wouldn’t be too expensive to trade him for that exact reason.

Sadly, they do lack draft capital, so moving him may be hard.  At least Murray has been decent when healthy and if they can’t afford to pay someone to take him, it’s not going to be the end of the world.

Next. 3 Hypothetical Trades Between The Leafs and Jets. dark

If the Toronto Maple Leafs want to walk down a road they haven’t since 2016 with Jared Cowen, be my guest, but it’s probably not necessary. I don’t think they should buy Matt Murray out, but it could go either way.

Once thing we know for absolute sure: the Toronto Maple Leafs will not be buying out T.J Brodie.

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