The Coyotes want to extend their head coach
Jon Lane of NHL.com: Arizona Coyotes GM Bill Armstrong said they are interested in signing head coach Andre Tourigny to a contract extension as they enter Phase 2 of their rebuilding plan.
“He’s done Phase 1 very well,” Coyotes general manager Bill Armstrong told NHL.com. “He has got the players to buy into what he’s doing. He’s got the players to buy into the culture and he’s got the players to buy in to compete every single night here in the desert.
“Now we’re entering Phase 2 with adding some good players into the mix and trying to play meaningful games. I think he’s done a great job and now I believe we’re going to be able to get an extension with him and move into the future, into Phase 2 with him. He’s certainly somebody that’s infused a tremendous amount of culture and belief in this organization.”
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Two potential Maple Leafs buyouts
Travis Yost of TSN: After Ilya Samsonov’s arbitration ruling of $3.5 million, the Toronto Maple Leafs are now well over the salary cap ceiling. They will get some LTIR relief from Jake Muzzin’s $5.625 million, but they’ll still need to shed some salary.
A second buyout window opens up on Wednesday, so that is one option to help shed some salary. A trade is obviously another route.
Two names that come up are goaltender Matt Murray and defenseman TJ Brodie.
A Murray buyout would leave the Maple Leafs with the $687,500 cap hit this year and $2 million next year. That would be about a $4.2 million savings this year. One issue is, is he even buyout eligible given his injures. Is he an LTIR candidate for this season?
Brodie is still an NHL defenseman buyout would cost them $2.5 million in salary for two years, but a cap hit of $0 this year and $2.5 million next year.
Buying out both players would save the Leafs over $9 million this year.
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A buyout or LTIR of Murray seems the most likely. A Brodie buyout would hurt the Leafs defensively this year and they’ll need every extra dollar for the 2024-25 season when Auston Matthews and William Nylander’s extensions might kick in.