To conclude, here are the pros and cons of trading for Matt Murray. While I do think that he would be a great guy to have in the postseason, I just don’t know if he will stay healthy for the Maple Leafs when it matters and whether or not there is enough space to sign a replacement.
The Leafs did not have stellar goaltending last season, but it was good enough to help them push the Eastern Conference Champs to the limit. Jack Campbell dueled Andrei Vasilevskiy amazingly, making the series close and competitive. The points I shared were on Matt Murray specifically, and could he stay healthy and stay in form to help the Leafs finally win a playoff series?
The main issue here is Murray’s durability, which has been put in question more often than not. And yes, Murray could go on LTIR if he does get injured but who will the Leafs bring in just in case?
All in all, this move isn’t that bad for the Leafs, so it wasn’t a mistake for them to acquire him. Murray can be a solid goaltender when he is on form but, again, he is injury prone. This is the main risk AND the Leafs will have to find ways to bring in another starter while making sure that they have enough cap for when Murray could return.
There are many question marks here that will only be answered when the season begins.