One thing the Leafs should be concerned with ahead of the playoffs
The Toronto Maple Leafs currently sit 2nd in their division and 3rd in the overall NHL standings, so there probably isn't a lot to really be concerned with from a performance perspective. The team is largely playing very well - especially against the teams who are in playoff positions. However, that doesn't mean that there are no concerns at all.
When the Leafs acquired Matt Murray and a pair of draft picks from the Ottawa Senators in exchange for future considerations this summer, the move was met with a great deal of criticism. While his career started off with a bang, winning back-to-back Stanley Cups with the Pittsburgh Penguins, the last 6 seasons have been troublesome from an injury/inconsistency standpoint. Thankfully, Dubas also went out and landed UFA goaltender Ilya Samsonov after the Washington Capitals declined to extend a qualifying offer to the RFA goaltender - a move that is paying off in spades this season, because Murray has suffered yet another injury.
After suffering an adductor injury in practice back at the start of the season, which cost him more than a month of his season, Murray managed to remain healthy for a 2-month stretch, during which, he won 11 games, going 11-4-2. Now, with Murray having suffered another injury, this time to his ankle, there's really no telling what we can expect from the 2-time Cup winner the rest of the way. Murray is expected to be out until after the All-Star break, but just how long after remains a mystery. On Sunday, Sheldon Keefe revealed that Murray's timeline for recovery won't be known until he is re-evaluated at some point next week.
For now, yes, the Leafs are in good hands with Ilya Samsonov tending the twine. But how long will that last, exactly? We saw Samsonov thrive with a larger work load earlier this season, but we also saw a lengthy stretch where Samsonov struggled mightily as well - particularly on the road. With nearly half of a team's playoff games occurring on the road, the Leafs may need two healthy goaltenders to navigate their way through an ultra-tough Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference before ever getting to the Stanley Cup Finals.
The bottom line here is that, while he has played well for long stretches this season, Murray's inability to stay healthy is a concern. It's part of why the Sens wanted to offload him and it's part of the reason why the fanbase was worried when Dubas acquired him. Look, a healthy Matt Murray can be a game-changer. Nobody is questioning that. But the problem is that we haven't seen a healthy Murray in quite some time.
The obvious hope here is that the Leafs can play well enough without him to allow him to take his time to get back to 100% before the playoffs. The hope from there is that he can continue to contribute and to play at a high level. However, if Murray cannot stay healthy, the Leafs will need to play some incredible, consistent, two-way hockey come playoff time to avoid another 1st round exit. There's also the argument that the Leafs will need more than a 2nd round appearance to help prevent some significant changes this summer.
| POLL | ||
JANVIER 30 | 225 ANSWERS One thing the Leafs should be concerned with ahead of the playoffs Should the Leafs be concerned about Matt Murray's inability to remain healthy? | ||
| Yes | 150 | 66.7 % |
| No | 28 | 12.4 % |
| We'll see where he's at come playoff time | 47 | 20.9 % |
| List of polls | ||
