The Toronto Maple Leafs thank Ilya Samsonov for solving some of their problems this summer. netminder’s restricted free agent filed for arbitration recently, which has now opened up a second full purchase window for the Leafs. Brad Triliving, Meet Veteran Goalkeeper Matt Murray.
Murray has become the odd man out in Toronto and was surprisingly jumped by Joseph Wall during the Stanley Cup playoffs last season. Murray was healthy and available, and coach Sheldon decided how he could more trust Wall in a must-win game, leaving the two-time Stanley Cup champion to ride the pines.
Murray is very likely to be bought this summer. Hell The maximum became $687,500 in 2023-24 and an additional $2 million in 2024-25. The savings for this season are crucial as Treliving has spent some dough this season and now needs to get max compliant. The Maple Leafs still have Samsonov’s account and he’s still looking for another defenseman. Murray has to go, he’s basically rendered useless in Toronto, and once he’s a free man, look for these three teams to be in the mix:
Los Angeles Kings
The Kings added Cam Talbot on a one-year deal, and they also signed David Ritech. There’s still Phoenix Copley on the depth chart as well, but Los Angeles clearly have a lot of firepower up front, and they have a good backfield, but their position is far from resolved.
Murray could provide them with another contender to start the first gig next season, and given that all of the aforementioned goalkeepers are on one-year contracts, there’s no doubt that Kings general manager Rob Blake is looking for someone who can run in the starting job.
Murray has two Cup rings on his resume, and though he was inconsistent last season and couldn’t stay healthy, he posted a respectable 14-8-2 record with the Leafs. It would cost pennies on the dollar for the Kings and could become the reclamation project the team needs once again to be a playoff team next season.
Buffalo Saber
The Sabers are expected to start next season with Eric Comrie and Devon Levy side by side, however, hitting Murray on the free agent market later this summer could spark some interest in QEW.
Levy is still only 21 years old and the jury is out if he’s ready for the NHL. Comrie is trying to hold on to his NHL career and last season posted a . 886 save percentage in 19 appearances. Meanwhile, the Sabers believe they are a playoff team next season and will need some above-average goals to get into the conversation. Murray could push both the uncertain Comrie and the young Levy and take over in Buffalo.
The Sabers have nearly $7 million in capping space to work with this summer, and once Murray is purchased, he will likely sign a one-year deal for about $1 million. Reasonably priced for the Maple Leafs’ rivals and given how things have gone for the veteran goaltender in Toronto, “Matt Murray’s revenge run” could be alive and well in Buffalo.
Chicago Blackhawks
How fit would it be if Peter Mrazek and Murray were the only two hitters in the net for next season? Chicago general manager Kyle Davidson has proven he’s not afraid to bring some veteran talent into the Blackhawks’ rebuild, and Murray could become a target later in the season.
There will be a lot of attention on Connor Beddard next season, and Chicago could be an ideal place to land Murray. Expectations will be low, he will be a low risk, high reward type of signing, and given that he is only 29 years old, there is still a chance he will find his game and eventually get another multi-year contract.
Health is a concern, but if Murray is healthy and ready to jump, he could be at training camp in Chicago this fall. They have the resources to sign him, they have a need for another network veteran and they have competition for the rookie job and it’s wide open.
A reclamation project on a rebuilding team with low expectations seems like the perfect place to sign.
The Maple Leafs still have some major action coming up this summer. William Nylander and Auston Matthews need extensions, Samsonov needs a new contract and another defenseman still likely to be added on the way. As for Murray, he appears to be an afterthought at this point and is training hard this season to be fully prepared for another ‘comeback’ season. You shouldn’t be expected to be in Toronto.