Matt Murray's conditioning loan finishes with horrendous results
When the Toronto Maple Leafs assigned injured goaltender Matt Murray on a conditioning loan with the AHL's Toronto Marlies last week, I'm not sure anyone was expecting him to come in and post 3 shutouts after missing the entire season following bilateral hip surgery.
The goal in assigning Murray to the American Hockey League was simply to get him back into game action and allowing him to see some pucks in a more authentic setting. The Marlies were already in great position to lock up a playoff spot and adding a Stanley Cup champ into the fold could have been a huge advantage for the Marlies. Unfortunately for Murray, the time off has really impacted his game, not unexpectedly.
Murray lost two of his 3 outings in the AHL, averaging 4 goals against per game across his 3-game conditioning loan. His 4.03 GAA and .846 SV% was certainly concerning as well, but Marlies head coach John Gruden understands the situation and was surprisingly complimentary of Murray's play, despite what the numbers say.
At the end of the day, we're getting a Stanley Cup-winning goaltender. We are not not going to want that in our locker room. He's a winner. He knows how to win, and having him, regardless of what went on... like that's a lot what he's been through. To have surgery like that, come back, and the AHL's still a pretty good league, there's still good players here. But, I really liked everything about his presence and what he brought to our locker room."
-Marlies coach John Gruden on Matt Murray's conditioning loan
Murray allowed 4 goals against on 24 shots in his final AHL start last night against the Cleveland Monsters and while I'm sure some were enamored by the potential storyline of having Murray come back up to the NHL and actually see him back in net for the Maple Leafs in the playoffs, I just don't think that's in the cards after his lackluster showing at the AHL level. Being fourth in the pecking order behind Ilya Samsonov, Joseph Woll and Martin Jones is the right spot for Murray right now, and something tells me that if it were to come to the point where the Leafs needed Murray to step in, the results would be disastrous.
Murray suited up in just 26 games for the Maple Leafs last season, posting a 14-8-2 record to go along with a 3.01 GAA and a .903 SV%. These numbers in Toronto were comparable to his previous season in Ottawa in 2021-22, where he went 5-12-2, with a 3.05 GAA and a .906 SV%, which is very telling when you consider how much better the Leafs are as a team than the Ottawa Senators.
Murray's last season as a legitimate starter came way back in 2018-19, while he was still a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Murray started 50 games that season, posting a 29-14-6 record with a 2.69 GAA and a .919 SV%. To say that his best days are long behind him is a pretty large understatement.
Obviously, it would be a nice story to see Murray come back next season, fully healthy, and return to his form from his Stanley Cup days in Pittsburgh, but for a soon-to-be 30-year-old netminder who is coming off of a full-season layoff and a major surgery, I think that may be setting the bar a little too high. Still, Murray could very well find a nice gig for himself as a backup somewhere, which should be viewed as a win, considering what he has gone through.
| POLL | ||
AVRIL 21 | 356 ANSWERS Matt Murray's conditioning loan finishes with horrendous results What is the most likely scenario for Matt Murray next season? | ||
| He'll be a starter on a rebuilding team | 56 | 15.7 % |
| He'll be a backup on a good team | 53 | 14.9 % |
| He'll be a backup on a rebuilding team | 225 | 63.2 % |
| He'll be a starter on a decent-good team | 22 | 6.2 % |
| List of polls | ||
