It’s time for another round of NHL rumours as we continue to make our way through the off-season. We may be entering the dog days of summer, but there are plenty of NHL rumours to be had. There are some clubs that need to get under the salary cap number by the start of the upcoming season. Other clubs have a good idea about their future and want to secure that. Today’s NHL rumours deals with the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Arizona Coyotes.
All NHL rumours come from the original source and are subject to change.
NHL Rumours
Toronto Maple Leafs
Rumour: Travis Yost of TSN looked into a possible buyout for T.J. Brodie. Yost took a look at possible options on how the Leafs could get under the salary cap.
With no trade on the horizon, a buyout (or LTIR) seems all but certain for Matt Murray. But is a T.J. Brodie buyout also on the horizon?
On Toronto's summer salary cap tightrope walk: https://t.co/lSi2QQyAc6
— Travis Yost (@travisyost) July 24, 2023
Analysis: The Leafs did put Matt Murray on long-term injured reserve to free up some salary cap space. However, Toronto is still up against the cap. The second buyout window is going to open up soon and general manager Brad Treliving may have to make a tough choice.
Buying out Brodie would be a blow to the team on the defensive end. Toronto also needs every dollar of possible cap space if it wants to re-sign both Auston Matthews and William Nylander. The buyout would cost $2.5 million next year.
Toronto doesn’t want to have dead cap space when next season rolls around. It’s unknown how much the cap is going to exactly go up by. A Brodie buyout would hamstring the Maple Leafs in their effort to build a team around the entire core four if they can all be brought back.
Arizona Coyotes
Rumour: Jon Lane of NHL.com talked to Coyotes general manager Bill Armstrong about extending head coach Andre Tourigny.
From Sunday: The Coyotes are interested in extending coach Andre Touringy https://t.co/wJoz7YVYuu #Yotes
— Jon Lane (@JonLaneNHL) July 24, 2023
Analysis: Armstrong raved about how well Tourigny has done in phase one of the Arizona rebuild. The Coyotes made themselves more of a player in the free agency period. Arizona may still be taking on some contracts to get to the salary cap floor. However, the team did make some moves to add some veteran players.
Armstrong explained that phase two is where the team will hopefully play some meaningful games later in the season. Tourigny has helped instill a better culture and players are buying in according to Armstrong. Arizona may still be a ways off from contending, but it’s not going to be a pushover. Things may be uncertain off the ice, but the on-ice product should improve.
Who knows where the Coyotes will be next or what they will be called. However, Tourginay has gotten what he can out of the team.
Main photo by: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports
