Sens head coach DJ Smith expressed durability concerns over Matt Murray just yesterday; Did the Leafs trade for the right guy?
On Friday, just ahead of the Sens' matchup against former goaltender Matt Murray and their archrival Maple Leafs, Ottawa Senators head coach DJ Smith touched on Murray's time in Ottawa, stating that he didn't want to diminish anything that Murray has done in his career, but he pointed to the Thunder Bay native having spent most of his time in Ottawa on the IR.
"Matt unfortunately in his time here, was injured all the time. Take nothing away from him. He was just hurt all the time."
-Sens coach DJ Smith on Matt Murray
Well, fast forward last than 24 hours and Murray appeared to tweak something during the Leafs' morning pre-game skate. Now, obviously, Smith is not a clairvoyant. He can't see into the future and he does not know what is going to happen. What he does know is what he experienced with Murray and now we could be seeing first-hand what some of those durability issues are like.
It's still very early and Murray's groin tweak might end up being very minor and may not cost him much time, so it's probably too early to panic if you're a Leafs fan - but it also doesn't instill much confidence in the fanbase when his previous coach makes a comment about his durability and then 24 hours later, he's potentially out of the lineup.
I still believe in my heart of hearts that the Leafs made the right move in trading for Murray. I also think that they're an organization that is better equipped to handle these issues and that their medical staff will do what's best for Murray to avoid any unnecessary lengthy layoffs. But with that said, to have this happening so early in the season, it is a bit concerning.
Previously on MapleLeafsDaily
POLL |
OCTOBRE 15 | 345 ANSWERS Sens head coach DJ Smith expressed durability concerns over Matt Murray just yesterday; Did the Leafs trade for the right guy? Did the Leafs make a mistake in trading for Matt Murray? |
Yes | 163 | 47.2 % |
No | 57 | 16.5 % |
It's far too early to say for sure | 125 | 36.2 % |
List of polls |
|
38 minutes ago | By TJ Tucker Insider Shares Harsh Reality that May Prevent Leafs from Landing Stanley Cup Winner |
|
2 hours ago | By Dean Chaudhry Morgan Rielly Opens Up About His On-Ice Struggles as Hellish Season Continues |
|
4 hours ago | By Nick Matthews Maple Leafs Showing Signs of Frustration as Winger Snaps on NHL Official |
|
8 hours ago | By Mike Armenti TSN's Darren Dreger Confirms Exciting News About Maple Leafs Captain Auston Matthews |
|
9 hours ago | By TJ Tucker Craig Berube and the Maple Leafs Making a Strong Case for Chris Tanev to Make Team Canada |
|
10 hours ago | By TJ Tucker Former NHLer and Member of the Toronto Maple Leafs Family Tragically Passes Away |
|
12 hours ago | By Ryan Smitheram Insider Confirms Leafs' Interest in Two-Time Stanley Cup Champion Brandon Saad |
|
13 hours ago | By Nick Matthews Craig Berube Singles Out One Young Maple Leaf Who Has Been Particularly Underwhelming |