Toronto Maple Leafs Goalie Grades:
#1. Matt Murray
Stats with the Leafs:
Games Started: 26
Wins: 14
Losses: 8
OT Losses: 2
GAA: 3.01
SV%: .903
Contract Status:
1 more year at $4.687M
Overall Thoughts:
Matt Murray was brought in as a gamble that could pay off largely and help to revitalize his career, but ultimately the gamble hasn’t paid off.
Murray looked solid in the first half of the season when healthy, but that is the key. Murray was unavailable for much of the season due to injuries and ultimately couldn’t be relied on.
Murray still has the skills to be a solid goalie in the NHL, but if you can’t stay healthy especially in the final stretch of the season it’s hard to be relied on.
Murray played some solid games for the Leafs so he shouldn’t be marked as a complete fail, but it’s definitely clear that his time in Toronto has not been working for the Leafs, who boast one of the best medical teams in the sport.
Murray has one year left on his deal at just over a 4 and a half million cap hit and with the signings of Bertuzzi and Domi, the writing seems to be on the wall as the Leafs need cap space and Murray’s cap hit is far too high.
The Murray era in Toronto was more successful than the Mrazek one in my eyes, but neither goaltender lived up to the standards that were set, so it’s important to move on.