Leafs send Matt Murray to Robidas Island: Leafs Morning Take

After weeks of speculation, finally, we have some clarity on the Matt Murray situation.

In case you missed it, the Leafs announced on Wednesday that the 29-year-old goaltender would be out indefinitely and will be placed on LTIR for the 2023-24 season.

Cap-wise, this was probably the best outcome for the Leafs. No dead cap hit, and they didn’t need to trade an asset in order to get rid of Murray. Will we ever find out what the injury is? That’s my big question.

At any rate, naturally, I got together with Jay Rosehill to discuss. Just over a year ago, the Leafs acquired the two-time Stanley Cup champion from the Ottawa Senators. Who saw this coming? Sadly, pretty much everyone.

Additionally, we discussed the Sebastian Aho contract extension with Carolina, and what that could mean in the long run for the Nylander negotiations. Just my opinion, but I don’t see how that $9.75 million AAV isn’t somewhat of a starting point for the Nylander camp. Bottom line: There needs to be concessions from both sides in order to get a deal done.

Lastly, we revisited the Erik Karlsson conversation. Over the weekend, in an interview with Expressen hockey reporter Adam Johansson, the reigning Norris Trophy winner confirmed that he’s spoken to a laundry list of teams this summer —including the Maple Leafs. He’s a great player, but is he a realistic target right now? That’s the big-time question. From a Leafs perspective, especially at this point in the summer, it’s probably a hard deal to pull off —unless the Sharks are down to eat a significant chunk of salary and the Leafs are willing to move a marquee name.

We interviewed Sean Avery the other day. Be sure to go back and check that out —among other fascinating interviews we’ve conducted in our inaugural season of the show.

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