In this edition of Toronto Maple Leafs News & Rumors, I’ll take a look at a former Maple Leaf, Joey Anderson, who just re-signed with the Chicago Blackhawks. Second, I’ll share why – in all this flurry of activity around dumping Matt Murray’s contract – I think it’s time to take a look at Murray’s achievements.
Third, I suggest why the meetings between Maple Leafs’ general manager (GM) Brad Treliving and Auston Matthews might suggest bigger changes on the horizon. Finally, I’ll speculate what the emergence of Tyler Toffoli might mean for William Nylander’s future with the team.
Item One: Joey Anderson Re-Signs with the Blackhawks
Anderson is a young forward who came to the Maple Leafs in a 2020 trade with the New Jersey Devils (for Andreas Johnsson) and kicked around the organization for three seasons. He was great for the American Hockey League (AHL) Toronto Marlies but never made a big enough impact during his chances with the Maple Leafs to stay, appearing in 14 games and recording two goals and an assist.
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At last season’s trade deadline, he was moved to the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for defenseman Jake McCabe and forward Sam Lafferty. News out of Chicago is that Anderson just signed a one-year, two-way contract extension with the team. The 25-year-old will earn $800,000 at the NHL level and $475,000 at the AHL level.
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Good for him. With Chicago rebuilding, Anderson earned bigger minutes in the 24 games he played, scoring four goals and two assists. It should be an interesting season for Anderson and the Blackhawks. His new team won the 2023 NHL Draft lottery and the Connor Bedard sweepstakes. How fun to be invited to that party.
By the way, Anderson had positive things to say about his time with the Maple Leafs, praising the team for how it handled the challenges of the pandemic. He specifically recalled a time when they went out of their way to figure out a plan that would allow him to spend time with his brother, Mikey, who played for the Los Angeles Kings.
Good luck to Anderson as he progresses through his career. Let’s hope he finds a home in Chicago.
Item Two: I Can’t Help But Feel Bad for Matt Murray
Yes, trading for Matt Murray was a gamble given his recent injury history, and, yes, although he played well enough when he wasn’t injured, his playing time was only a small part of his time with the team.
Now the former Stanley Cup-winning goalie is seen as a contract to dump. I get that part of the business. That said, there’s a big part of me that feels bad for the young player who’s only 29 years old and his NHL career might be behind him.
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His struggles with injuries highlight a tough side of the game. Despite his past success and contributions to Stanley Cup victories with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Murray has been plagued by injuries in recent seasons, resulting in inconsistent and unreliable play.
While I know that many fans believe that Murray’s big-money contract sort of makes the way the situation has unfolded for Murray okay; he’s a professional after all. But I think more goes on in a player’s mind. It’s frustrating not being able to consistently contribute on the ice. As an old guy now, I think it’s sad to see a player who has given much to the game being treated as a problem to be solved.
Let’s not forget that his accomplishments include two Stanley Cup championships. These will carry happy memories with him during his post-retirement reflections. Still, it has to be tough transitioning from a top-performing goalie to one facing an uncertain future that might or might not include hockey.
Treliving has to do his job, which means either trading Murray or buying him out. The organization simply needs to move on from him to pursue their goals for next season. Hockey is a business where tough choices must be made.
That said, Murray’s situation is a reminder of the realities athletes face as they navigate the later stages of their careers. They have dedicated their lives to a sport they love, and these challenges are part of the game. But it’s still worth remembering the contributions and achievements of players like Murray, who provide us all with so much entertainment.
Thanks, Matt, and good luck wherever you land.
Item Three: Auston Matthews Is Likely Taking a Big Role in His Choices
According to David Pagnotta of NHL Network, a recent meeting in Arizona brought together Matthews, his agent Judd Muldavor, Treliving, and team advisor Shane Doan. It was considered a chance to get to know each other and map out a game plan for the team’s future.
Although there have been preliminary discussions between the Maple Leafs and Matthews (and it looks like Matthews has been front-and-center in these discussions) about his contract, we are told that – to date – no significant negotiations have taken place.
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We know that both the Maple Leafs and Matthews have expressed their desire to continue a partnership. However, Matthews’ no-movement clause kicks in on July 1st, just over a week away.
What’s interesting is that Matthews is taking such an active role in these conversations. By extension, I believe that means he will take a lot of ownership in whatever decisions are made about his contract. Treliving, for his part, is wise to include Matthews in the organizational planning. It shows him that he’s an integral part of the organization’s future. That the meeting involved these four “big” players also suggests that Matthews will eventually play an active role in contract negotiations.
While Matthews’ agent’s main task is contract numbers and terms, an NHL player also cares about his teammates and whether he’s happy with the team’s philosophy and future plans. Because Matthews knows he’ll be part of the organization’s future planning he’d likely feel ownership in these plans. The result is that he might sign for a longer-than-anticipated term on his next contract. Matthews might go for more, rather than try to leverage his financial options on a shorter-term deal.
There’s also Matthews’ leadership. While it would be tough to strip John Tavares of the captaincy, Matthews is the face of the team and their best player. Might he be named the captain if he signs a long-term extension?
What’s Next for the Maple Leafs?
The fact that Tyler Toffoli has told the Calgary Flames he won’t re-sign with them next season makes me wonder if he might be headed to Toronto. It would not be much of a trade to move William Nylander to Calgary – the city where he was born – and bring in Toffoli.
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Might that be on the horizon? If the team wanted to move one of their core players, this option suddenly jumps to my mind. This will be discussed further in another post.