Leafs drop major announcement regarding injured goaltender Matt Murray

The announcement was met with a ton of criticism, with many accusing the Leafs of salary cap circumvention. The reason for this outrage was that Murray was cleared by doctors to play in the 2022-23 Stanley Cup Playoffs and had actually backed up rookie Joseph Woll for the final couple games during the Leafs' second round series against Florida.

As we all know, there is a big difference between being healthy and being healthy enough to play in the playoffs. A few weeks ago, Leafs GM Brad Treliving had informed the hockey world that Murray was expected to undergo surgery soon, which is why he had landed on LTIR. Today, the Leafs confirmed that Murray has had his surgery, informing fans that the surgery was successful and revealing his official recovery timeline.

Murray appeared in just 26 games in his first season in Toronto last season, posting a 14-8-2 record, accompanied by a 3.01 GAA and a .903 save percentage. He had endured several injuries throughout the year, spending 3 stints on LTIR with adductor and ankle injuries, as well as a concussion.

With his current injury timeline projected to keep him out until April-June, it seems highly unlikely that he'll play again in 2023-24, even in the playoffs.