Chicago declines.

Is giving up a 1st a better move now to facilitate getting Murray off the books, or is buying Murray out and using the 1st to bolster the team the deadline the right move though?

Understood the thread starter really isn't needed CHI above, but let's pretend it is CHI. Their track record shows that it costs a 2nd rounder pick for $2,333,333. Murray (if he's bought out by the Hawks) will cost $4M. It probably won't cost a 1st IF there's still the potential for a buyout, but it probably will costs (2) 2nds and the Hawks send back a 4th or something like that.

Hawks already have 3 buyouts on the season, so they will carry Murrays cap hit. 2x$5M in a cap crunch is realistically a 1st. I think the Hawks are the most realistic team to take this on. But the price seems cheaper to just buy Murray out.

For the Hawks to bite on 6 million real dollars with Murray it is going to take every bit of a 1st or something around one of Minten/Niemela with a decent pick (2nd-4th) attached to them. I understand the Leafs preferring to buyout Murray, but the Hawks are not taking 6 million in salary for a 3rd or some of the other garbage posted in AGM's here.

Any NHL owner who pays 6 million dollars for the chance to draft a kid with a 50% chance to play a single NHL game (3rd round pick) is crazy. NHL is big business, but that's bad business. Hawks would certainly ask for a first, multiple seconds, or top tier prospects. I'm sure the price has gone up since the buyout window is gone/ Hawks have used all 3.

There is no limit on buyouts. You're thinking of retention. But, otherwise, I agree with everything you said.

And TOR doesn't have any 2nd's. So it'll likely take a pick swap of a 1st for a 3rd or a 2nd that is presumed to be late.

Sorry but that’s a ridiculously high price, one of our top prospects and a decent pick? Ridiculous

Then use a 1st or buy Murray out.....Hawks are not taking 6 million commitment for Murray without something compelling.

Then it won’t be the hawks but don’t start deluding yourselves

Who would it be then? Not trying to pick a fight but there’s a limited amount of teams that would do this based on cap, budgetary constraints for smaller markets with cap room, etc. A third rounder isn’t incentive to take Murray on. There are other options available such as a buyout but to think another owner/gm is just gonna bail you out with real dollars at stake without using their leverage to get a maximum return is delusional.

I’m not the one in charge of answering that question

I mean you make a post like this and then say it doesn’t have to be Chicago, I’d assume you had an opinion of where else it could be and why they’d do it without maximizing leverage. Good talk though.

No I was just indicating chicago was not the only possible place for him to go, which we all know is true except a lot of hawks fans on here expecting massive returns

Right, that’s what I was asking. Assume we’re talking ANA or ARI? Maybe SJS?

I don’t think any of them have incentive to do the deal without a big return either since they’d all be conscious of taking on 6M real dollars while in a rebuild and some of them having budgetary constraints. It can be sold to an owner still in that circumstance, but you better have something strong to show for it and a third rounder ain’t it.

Idk what your fixation on a third rounder is. I didn’t say that anywhere lol

Bc it’s going to take something valuable like a second and another pick or a first with a late pick going back to convince one of those teams to do it.

A second is reasonable. I’ve most recently seen Hawks fans asking for a 1st, Niemela, and Minten

No one is deluding themselves. Just look at the cap dump market, then consider the fact that Kyle Davidson has openly and publicly stated he is not looking for goaltending and is done adding to the roster, aside from maybe another defenseman but he, quote, "isn't going to chase anyone". If we had a roster spot for him and a need at G, it might be more reasonable to give a discount on dumping his contract, but we don't. So, Murray is a pure cap dump, and a very expensive one at that.

Also, consider the very real possibility that, if it were this cheap to dump Murray, it would've been done before the 2023 draft. Who uses a 1st round pick on Easton Cowan, anyway? I would've taken that Murray contract for that 28th overall pick, but I would not take that contract for Easton Cowan. That pick was worth a lot more before Treliving went and used it on a huge reach.

Pretty sure I am not the one that is deluded. Can you name one 6 million dollar cap dump that went for a 2nd (what...4 drafts out) or a 3rd? I can name one that went for a 1st that was done in the last year by your GM....Monahan. Hawks do not have to use their cap space while the Leafs do absolutely need to create cap space somehow. In the end the Leafs have other ways to get cap compliant and the Hawks will have plenty of oppurtunities to use their cap space.