Goaltender Matt Murray is remaining in Toronto, providing much-needed depth in goal after the Leafs re-signed Joseph Woll and added Anthony Stolarz.
The new tandem has started a combined 121 starts in the NHL, so a third goalie is definitely appreciated in Leaf Land.
Murray has battled brutal injuries the last few years, but had successful hip surgery last season and got in three AHL contests before the season ended. Murray will only get into Leafs games if Woll or Stolarz go down with injury, but the team clearly likes him and sees him as valuable depth.
A two-time cup winner
The intrigue of Murray comes from his back-to-back Stanley Cup wins for the Pittsburgh Penguins, where he looked like one of the best goalies in the league.
He had three successful seasons as a starter after taking over from Marc-Andre Fleury in the 2015–16 playoffs, so the pedigree is there.
The struggles began after joining the Ottawa Senators, but that was a bad team that didn’t give him much support, if any. Murray is only 30, so while the odds of a bounce-back are slim, they’re still there.
Nothing more than a third goalie
With Woll and Stolarz locked up, if Murray gets hurt again or plays poorly, it won’t matter much for the Leafs.
It’ll be interesting to see how the Leafs manage him, as they rostered three goalies for a lot of last year because they were scared Martin Jones would be scooped up off waivers if sent down.
Whether Murray becomes a Marlies starter, or stays with the big club, remains to be seen, but there’s nothing wrong with locking up a third goalie with some upside.
