Matt Murray Traded to Toronto And It Could Actually Work for Them

The Toronto Maple Leafs traded for G Matt Murray today, and they got a decent deal for him. The Ottawa Senators retained 25% & sent two draft picks to Toronto; a 2023 3rd & 2024 7th round pick went with Murray in exchange for future considerations:

Matt Murray's career trajectory is quite an interesting story. Two Stanley Cups in is first two full seasons & fairly strong numbers during his time in Pittsburgh set a high bar for him to hit throughout his career. Follow that up with a stint in Ottawa in which he seriously struggled & underperformed his $6.3 million cap hit, and it paints the picture of a washed-up goalie with an injury history. Toronto GM Kyle Dubas is sticking his neck out for another former Soo Greyhound because if this backfires, it could be his undoing. And frankly, there are several ways in which this can go south. Recently he's dealt with a couple injuries, the worst of which is a concussion that kept him out for most of the 2021-22 season. His play when he has been healthy hasn't exactly been great either. Over the last two seasons in Ottawa, he's managed a 3.22 GAA & .892 SV%. In fairness, they are the Senators, though. All in all, the case for why Murray's stint in Toronto could be a massive failure is a strong one.

However, Matt Murray has 246 NHL games under his belt & he is only 27. Most goalies don't hit their prime until age 25, some even later. If you simply chalk Murray's disappointing stint in Ottawa to bad injuries & an even worse team in front of him, then maybe he isn't so bad after all. Especially going from the Senators to the Maple Leafs who, in their present form, arguably have just as strong as a group as the Penguins ever had during Murray's time there. The Maple Leafs, for all the slack they get, just went seven games with the back-to-back champs & have one of the best teams in the NHL. They dominate play almost every game & have proven to play a resolute defense with a blistering offense. Their goaltending was arguably the worst aspect of their team in 2021-22, so Matt Murray is, if anything a lateral move who will likely take up less of Toronto's payroll than Jack Campbell.

If Matt Murray can be remotely close to the goaltender he was when he was 23, the Maple Leafs could have something here. And Kyle Dubas has a knack for finding ex-Soo Greyhounds to perform well in Toronto. Head Coach Sheldon Keefe & Michael Bunting are both former Greyhounds, and they have both proven to be great additions so far. The acquisition of Murray could indeed pay off for Toronto, assuming his injuries subside.

Ultimately, Toronto's success hinges on Murray's ability to remain healthy, their goalie coaches, and whether or not they can duplicate last season's dominant play in front of Murray. It's a risky bet, but the Maple Leafs kinda-sorta need to make some gambles to get them over the hump. And a 27-year old, two-time Stanley Cup champion is not a bad to guy on whom to place a wager.

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