Toronto Maple Leafs Acquire Matt Murray
In a trade that had been anticipated for a couple of days now, the Toronto Maple Leafs have acquired goaltender Matt Murray from the Ottawa Senators, both teams announced. Heading to Toronto as well will be a third-round pick in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft and a seventh-round pick in 2024. Ottawa is also retaining 25% of Murray’s salary. In exchange for Murray, Toronto will send “future considerations” to Ottawa. Frank Seravalli of the Daily Faceoff was the first to report that an agreement was in place.
A Murray trade this offseason had almost seemed to be a given, with the question being when and to who. A deal that would send Murray to the Buffalo Sabres appeared to be in place last week until Murray declined via his no-trade clause. The deal now helps to alleviate some of the cap concerns Murray’s contract placed on the Senators, especially in the wake of acquiring Alex DeBrincat from the Chicago Blackhawks who carries a $6.4MM cap hit, but will be due at least a $9MM qualifying offer after next season, and perhaps more if Ottawa wants to keep the sniper long-term. Not only DeBrincat, but Ottawa has been rumored to be interested in playing the free agent market, and shedding even 75% of Murray’s $6.25MM cap hit over the next two seasons will make things easier on Ottawa.
For the Maple Leafs, this acquisition appears to put the Jack Campbell era in Toronto to a close, the team needing a goaltender under tight cap circumstances, absorbing a cap hit just under $4.69MM now. Campbell had been rumored to be asking for at least a $5MM AAV on his next contract, if not more, over four or five years. With the price seemingly too rich for the Maple Leafs, they opted to go for Murray, who has just two years left on his contract. For now, Murray projects to be the number one goaltender for the Maple Leafs, with Erik Kallgren and Joseph Woll behind him. Given Murray’s injury issues and recent struggles in net, Torotno will either have to rely on Kallgren and Woll as support, or may have to find themselves another goaltender either through trade or free agency.
Murray’s career has come a long way since his impeccable run to back-to-back Stanley Cups with the Pittsburgh Penguins as a rookie. After the Cups, Murray continued to impress in Pittsburgh, compiling a .913 save-percentage and 2.80 goals-against average in 99 games over the proceeding two seasons. But, the goaltender hit a wall in 2019-20, posting a subpar .899 save-percentage and 2.87 goals-against average before being traded to the Senators that offseason. Things, ultimately, got worse in Ottawa, Murray struggling to an .893 save-percentage and 3.38 goals-against average in 2020-21. Ottawa and Murray hoped for a fresh start in 2021-22, but injuries and poor play plagued him. The Senators would place Murray on waivers on November 27th, clearing the next day, and would not call him back up until December 28th. Murray would eventually head back to IR for the final time on March 6th, not playing another game for Ottawa. All told, the goaltender played just 20 games this season, though his numbers did improve slightly, with a .906 save-percentage and 3.05 goals-against average.
For the deal to work for Toronto, they will need Murray to rebound back to the player he was his first few seasons with the Penguins. Then, Murray was a budding star who not only won two Stanley Cups as a rookie, but did so usurping future Hall-of-Famer Marc-Andre Fleury in net. The impressive performance was so great, in fact, that when deciding which goaltender to protect ahead of the Vegas Golden Knights’ 2017 expansion draft, Pittsburgh opted to protect Murray, exposing, and losing, one of the best players in the franchise’s history. Gambling on Murray over Campbell, who represented the Maple Leafs at this year’s All Star Game, could pay dividends for Toronto, who likely saves significantly on contract term by going this route, but in order to do so, Murray will need to return to at least close to the player he was previously.
Dallas Stars Extend Marian Studenic
A waiver claim from this past season is sticking with his new team. The Dallas Stars announced Monday afternoon that the team has signed forward Marian Studenic to a one-year, two-way contract extension. Financial terms are currently unavailable.
The Slovak forward was a fifth-round pick of the New Jersey Devils just five years ago, but he’s already got a handful of NHL experience under his belt at 23. That experience caused him to lose his waiver exemption this season, and after just one goal in 17 games in New Jersey (but 10 points in 13 games with the AHL’s Utica Comets), the Devils lost him on waivers to Dallas when attempting to return him to Utica in February.
Studenic fared better in Texas, scoring a goal and two assists in 16 regular-season games and six points in four games spent in AHL Texas on a conditioning stint. He played in four of Dallas’ seven first-round playoff games as well without registering a point.
Whether Studenic actually plays for Dallas on this contract remains to be seen. The two-way nature of the deal shows a lack of confidence for him to play consistently in an NHL role. If Studenic fails to lock down a spot in training camp or disappoints early in the season, he’ll find himself right back on waivers where another team could pick him up.
Snapshots: Kane, Talbot, Kase
As the league begins to decompress from a busy NHL Draft with some blockbuster news, the Chicago Blackhawks are sure to be in the forefront of many discussions after being one of the most active teams on the market this week. One question that remains to be answered is how their Hall of Fame talent feels about the club’s direction. The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta confirms today that the team will reach out to winger Patrick Kane “in the very near future” to have a conversation about his future with the team.
Both Kane and Jonathan Toews each have just one year remaining on their matching contracts, both carrying a cap hit of $10.5MM. They also both have full say in what the future holds for them in the form of full no-movement clauses. If one or both do end up wanting a trade out of Chicago in order to make another championship run, it makes sense that the Blackhawks would want to know now. The highest value for them will likely be this offseason, as the risk of declining performance could lower their trade value by next year’s deadline.
- There’s some good old-fashioned drama in the State of Hockey. Many believed the Minnesota Wild had reinforced their goaltending situation by re-signing Marc-Andre Fleury to a two-year contract yesterday, but as quotes from general manager Bill Guerin and Cam Talbot‘s agent George Bazos reveal, Talbot may not be entirely happy with the team’s choice to keep Fleury around. Bazos gave a cryptic quote after meeting with Guerin during the third round of today’s draft, saying that Guerin “had a lot to think about.” Guerin countered later, reminding media that Talbot is still under contract, and said that “George can say whatever the hell he wants.” If the relationship turns sour quickly between Talbot and the Wild, it could leave them in an interesting position next season in the crease.
- The deadline for issuing qualifying offers to restricted free agents is July 11, and the Toronto Maple Leafs haven’t made a decision on whether or not to qualify winger Ondrej Kase. Kase is eligible for arbitration, and after producing 27 points in 50 games, the award might be too rich for Toronto’s blood if Kase elects for it. Not issuing a qualifying offer to Kase wouldn’t prevent him from returning to Toronto, but it would make him an unrestricted free agent, and could sign anywhere in the league.
West Notes: Kaprizov, Keith, Jets Prospects
Concerns continue to rise about the availability of Russian players to NHL teams next season. One player who’s come into focus today due to a variety of conflicting reports is Kirill Kaprizov, who Minnesota Wild general manager Bill Guerin confirmed today is still in Russia despite rumors stating he had returned to the United States. In response to reports this morning that Kaprizov is currently wanted in Russia for buying a false military ID card five years ago, Guerin said the following:
We’re not going to push the panic button or anything like that. We’re just trying to gather information right now and find out if this is even credible.
Kaprizov is one of the multiple players whose situations are in limbo, exacerbated by the fact their KHL rights are held by CSKA Moscow, a Russian army-owned team. Russo notes that in the past, CSKA players have been exempt from military service, but this is an informal and non-codified rule. In addition, Kaprizov’s exemption from mandatory military service via a studentship in a Russian organization expired at the end of June. Very little is confirmed about the situation, but it’s a significant development that bears watching over the course of the offseason as it pertains to Kaprizov’s availability to the Wild next season.
- The Edmonton Oilers will get some clarity soon on the playing future of defenseman Duncan Keith, who could potentially decide to retire with one season remaining on his contract carrying a $5.54MM cap hit. General manager Ken Holland noted that he’d spoken to Keith twice in the past few weeks and that he’s requested an answer by this Saturday. That gives the Oilers a brief window of time ahead of free agency to work out replacement plans for Keith if he retires. The 38-year-old defenseman would not inflict a cap penalty on the Oilers if he opts to call it a career.
- Winnipeg Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff gave injury updates today on a pair of important Jets prospects. Cole Perfetti, who suffered an upper-body injury in mid-February, has just started skating again and is not cleared to participate in the 2022 World Junior Championship for Team Canada. Additionally, 2021 first-rounder Chaz Lucius, who underwent ankle surgery after suffering a late-season injury with the University of Minnesota, won’t participate for the United States.
NHL Announces 2022-23 Regular Season Schedule
The news continues to break during what’s been a busy pre-draft week. The NHL has released the full 82-game schedule for the 2022-23 campaign, marking a return to normal dates and length for the first time since 2018-19.
2022-23 will see its curtains open overseas, where the San Jose Sharks and Nashville Predators will open the season at the O2 Arena in Prague, Czechia on October 7 and 8, 2022. The regular season will begin on the North American side of the Atlantic Ocean on Tuesday, October 11, 2022, with a classic doubleheader. The puck will drop at Madison Square Garden for an Eastern Conference Final rematch between the Tampa Bay Lightning and New York Rangers, followed by a Pacific Division showdown in Southern California between the Vegas Golden Knights and Los Angeles Kings.
The Colorado Avalanche Stanley Cup banner-raising ceremony will be the following night at home against the Chicago Blackhawks. The season will wrap up on April 13, 2023.
Some key events throughout the season include the 2022 Global Series in Tampere, Finland, where the Avalanche and Columbus Blue Jackets will play a pair of games on November 4 and 5, 2022. The 2023 Discover NHL Winter Classic is slated for January 2, 2023, between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Boston Bruins at Fenway Park, and the 2023 NHL Stadium Series is set for February 18, 2023, in Raleigh, North Carolina, where the Hurricanes will host the Washington Capitals. All-Star Weekend will be February 3-4, 2023, hosted by the Florida Panthers.
Latest On Jesse Puljujarvi
There could be some more movement involving young wingers ahead of the draft. TSN’s Ryan Rishaug reports that there are now as many as four teams kicking tires on Edmonton Oilers Jesse Puljujarvi, but further suggests that the return heading to Edmonton will be “marginal.”
It certainly doesn’t appear to be gearing up for a great return on investment for the Oilers, who selected Puljujarvi fourth overall in 2016. He’s had some analytically strong performances in recent seasons, especially when playing with the Oilers’ top players, but a late-season injury and unlucky playoffs tanked his trade stock. While he did have a solid 14 goals and 36 points in 65 games this year, he had just three points in 16 playoff games, earning the ire of the Oilers fanbase.
Counted on to be a solid complementary player, Puljujarvi screams “talent that will succeed in a different system,” but he really hasn’t shown enough offensive ceiling at the NHL level for Edmonton to recoup first-round level value. With a relatively small amount of teams in the market for his services too, it’s just not looking good for Edmonton to make a winning trade to move on from the Finnish winger.
Offseason Notes: Chychrun, White, Dallas
It’s been a while since we’ve heard Jakob Chychrun‘s name atop trade rumors, especially when considering how he was viewed as one of the hottest commodities ahead of the Trade Deadline. It’s not often an under-25 defenseman with top-pairing pedigree becomes available, but the Arizona Coyotes decided not to move him just yet. That could change, however, as the Columbus Dispatch’s Brian Hedger reports that the Blue Jackets and Coyotes are talking about a deal. While he couldn’t offer Chychrun’s name specifically, he also reminds that Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen has said that the team could move their 12th overall pick at the 2022 draft in exchange for a young NHL player with term.
Chychrun certainly fits that bill, signed at just $4.6MM through 2025. It also matches up with the rumblings that Columbus is looking to add aggressively on defense, as multiple reports suggested they were in discussions with the Tampa Bay Lightning about landing Ryan McDonagh. If Arizona acquired the 12th overall selection, it would give them a jaw-dropping four first-round picks in addition to their five second-round picks.
- There’s significant interest in soon-to-be free agent Colin White after he was placed on waivers for the purpose of a buyout today by the Ottawa Senators. TVA’s Renaud Lavoie reports that up to 14 NHL teams have shown interest in White over the past few months, which could lead to a significant bidding war for his services once free agency opens. TSN’s Darren Dreger specifically names the Montreal Canadiens as a team that could be a fit, as general manager Kent Hughes was his agent prior to getting hired in Montreal.
- The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta says the Dallas Stars are looking to add a significant punch at forward this offseason, specifically to add a jump to a line with Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin. Dallas will reportedly be active on both the trade and free-agent markets, looking to be aggressive and squeeze out whatever this core has left in them to try and win a championship. Neither Benn nor Seguin, who are making above $9MM per season each, cracked the 50-point mark last year.
Matt Moulson Joins Maple Leafs Front Office, Signaling Retirement
Longtime NHL and AHL forward Matt Moulson has joined the Toronto Maple Leafs as a pro scout, per the team’s website. The move to scouting signals that Moulson has retired from hockey after a 16-year professional career that included 605 NHL games.
Moulson hasn’t played in the NHL since 2017-18 with the Buffalo Sabres, but he’s been floating around the AHL with the Ontario Reign and Hershey Bears since then, maintaining a solid professional career, although falling short of a Calder Cup. A three-time 30-goal scorer, Moulson did his best work with the New York Islanders alongside current Maple Leafs captain John Tavares.
The point production burnt out quickly after turning 30, though, notching no more than 14 goals or 41 points in a season during his four NHL seasons spent in Buffalo after departing the Islanders during the 2013-14 season. Waived and loaned to Ontario in 2017-18, Moulson made a home for himself tutoring youngsters in the minors, aiding both Los Angeles’ and Washington’s development systems along the way.
Moulson finished a strong AHL career with 424 games played, 159 goals, and 350 points, including a trio of seasons spent with the Manchester Monarchs early in his career, back when he was the property of the Kings in the mid-2000s. Now 38, Moulson will make a swift transition to scouting with the Leafs.
Prospect Notes: Beck, Nelson, Lucius, Guhle
Hockey Canada has made some changes to their National Junior Team summer development camp roster, from which the organization will select their contingent for the 2023 World Junior Championship in December. In lieu of San Jose Sharks defense prospect Gannon Laroque being unable to participate due to injury, Hockey Canada has added a pair of 2022 draft-eligible prospects in forward Owen Beck and defenseman Ty Nelson to their list.
Beck, ranked 33rd in TSN’s Bob McKenzie’s final scouting poll, netted 51 points in 68 games for the OHL’s Mississauga Steelheads in 2021-22. The public opinion on him is rather skewed, with some listing Beck in the mid-to-late first while some have him deep within the second round. Regardless, he’s one of the better OHLers available in this year’s class. He’ll rely on his strong skating and transitional play to try and improbably work his way onto the final roster. Nelson, who hails from the OHL’s North Bay Battalion, was ranked 50th in McKenzie’s consensus rankings after a 51-point season.
- A second Lucius brother has officially left the University of Minnesota program. 2022-eligible Cruz Lucius, the younger sibling of Winnipeg Jets prospect Chaz Lucius, has switched his college commitment to rival Wisconsin. Cruz’s draft stock was hurt by injury this season, but he still managed eight points in six games for the U.S. at the U18 World Juniors and 25 points in 33 games with the U.S. National Development Team Program. If McKenzie’s consensus rankings are a proper indication, he’s slated to hear his name called in the mid-to-late third round.
- Anaheim Ducks defense prospect Brendan Guhle won’t be staying in North America for 2022-23 after signing a contract with the DEL’s Eisbären Berlin. Guhle, originally selected 51st overall by the Buffalo Sabres in 2015, will still belong to the Ducks organization if they issue the pending restricted free agent a qualifying offer. Guhle has just 65 NHL games to his name at this point, tallying 14 points. He had just seven points in 37 games last season in the AHL with San Diego.
Gatineau Olympiques Acquire Olivier Nadeau
While the NHL Draft is still a few days away, the 2022 QMJHL Draft is underway tonight. There’s some big action on the trade floor as well, as the Gatineau Olympiques have acquired Buffalo Sabres forward prospect, Olivier Nadeau, from the QMJHL champion Shawinigan Cataractes in exchange for this year’s 14th overall pick, a 2023 first-round selection, a 2023 second-round selection, and 2005-born defense prospect Thomas Hebert.
Nadeau, Buffalo’s 97th overall selection in 2021, led Shawinigan in regular-season scoring with 78 points in 65 games. While he finished ahead of teammates like Edmonton’s Xavier Bourgault and Dallas’ Mavrik Bourque, they both played in considerably fewer games and had higher playoff point totals.
That doesn’t discount Nadeau’s role on the team, though. Serving as an alternate captain, Nadeau is a powerful, versatile forward who knows how to use his 6′ 2″ frame. A smart and skilled passer, Nadeau boasts solid middle-six upside and is a good transitional talent. In what will be his last year of juniors, Nadeau will get a chance to shine on Gatineau, who suffered a first-round playoff loss this year.