This Kyle Dubas Trade Is Hurting The Maple Leafs now
PUBLICATION
S. Harper
May 11, 2023 (7:47)
SHARE THIS STORY
The Toronto Maple Leafs faced a challenging situation in the previous off-season after losing goaltender Jack Campbell to free agency and trading Petr Mrazek to the Chicago Blackhawks.
Many were curious about the actions General Manager Kyle Davidson would take to address the goaltending position.
Dubas opted to take a risk and acquire the injury-prone Matt Murray from the Ottawa Senators in exchange for a pair of draft picks and future considerations.
This move generated significant discussion and raised doubts about Dubas' decision-making.
Despite the skepticism, Dubas remained confident that Murray would regain his previous form as a Stanley Cup winner.
Unfortunately, Murray has not lived up to those expectations. Furthermore, with Ilya Samsonov out indefinitely, the Leafs find themselves relying on their third-string goaltender, Joseph Woll.
Murray has only played in 26 games this season and has one year remaining on his contract, which carries a salary of $6.25 million dollars and includes a 10-team no-trade clause.
As a result, Dubas now faces the challenge of either trading picks or prospects to another team willing to absorb Murray's contract or being burdened with a significant portion of the salary cap.
This situation is far from ideal for a General Manager seeking to negotiate a new contract with the Leafs.