Maple Leafs to Place Matt Murray on Long-Term Injured Reserve

The Maple Leafs announced the intent to move the goaltender to injured reserve, eliminating any possibility that he’d be bought out.

The Toronto Maple Leafs announced on Wednesday that goaltender Matt Murray is out indefinitely and that they plan to place him on injured reserve prior to the start of the regular season.

Toronto is well over the $83.5 million salary cap for the 2023-24 season. A second buyout window opened for the Maple Leafs three days after an arbitrator awarded a one-year, $3.55 million contract for goaltender Ilya Samsonov.

The Leafs announcement of Murray being placed on LTIR before the season effectively ends that possibility.

Murray, 28, struggled to stay healthy in his first season with the Maple Leafs. The club acquired him last summer from the Ottawa Senators along with draft picks in exchange for future considerations. The Senators also retained 25 percent of the goaltender's salary cap hit and cash commitments on his contract.

In 26 games this season, Murray posted a 14-8-2 record with a .903 save percentage. He missed significant stretches of the season with adductor, concussion and ankle injuries.

Joseph Woll emerged late in the season as a solid tandem goaltender for the Leafs. He posted a 6-1-0 record with a .932 save percentage this season. Woll played in the remainder of the club's second-round playoff series against the Florida Panthers after Samsonov sustained a neck injury. Woll was given the nod, despite Murray being cleared to return.

Murray backed up Woll to close out Toronto's postseason.

The Maple Leafs will add to their LTIR pool by placing all of Murray’s $4.6875 million cap hit outside of the the $83.5 million cap hit. Jake Muzzin’s $5.625 million cap hit is also expected to be in LTIR. He missed all but four games last season with a neck injury. That leaves the Maple Leafs at just over $1.28 million over the cap with plenty of time to get cap compliant by the start of the regular season.

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