Kyle Dubas took a big risk this summer in trading for Matt Murray. Even though the Leafs were paid to take on a 2-time Stanley Cup winning netminder, Murray's inconsistent play and injury history made it a gamble. Of course, in typical Leafs fashion, Murray fell victim to an adductor injury in practice after playing just 1 game for the team.
It's a good thing that Kyle Dubas went out and signed Ilya Samsonov in the off season as well as acquiring Murray. The 25-year-old Russian stepped up and played very well in Murray's absence, cementing himself as the Leafs' 1A goalie. Unfortunately, the Leafs just aren't allowed to have nice things and Samsonov injured his knee during the Leafs 2-1 victory over the Atlantic Division leading Bruins. Now with both goaltenders on IR and Joseph Woll unavailable, the Leafs are down to their 4th and 5th goaltenders, Erik Källgren and the newly signed Keith Petruzzelli.
The Leafs finally got some good news on the Murray front this morning. Murray has been on the ice on his own recently, working with goalie coach Curtis Sanford. Now it appears he is ready to take the next step. According to Sports Illustrated reporter David Alter, Murray will join the main group for morning skate before the Leafs take on the Vegas Golden Knights. This will mark Murray's first time on the ice with the team since his injury.
I may be in the minority here, but I still believe Matt Murray can resurrect his career in Toronto. He's still fairly young at 28 and his pre-season was very encouraging. Having Murray back in game shape would be a huge boost for the Leafs, especially if he can find the form he exhibited in the pre-season, where he posted a .970 SV%. Until then, the Leafs will have to rely on the talents of their 4th and 5th string goalies.
