The Toronto Maple Leafs goalie carousel continued on Friday when the team announced that Matt Murray would be recalled from the Toronto Marlies and rookie Dennis Hildeby would be sent back down to the American Hockey League.
Over the past week, the Toronto Maple Leafs went from losing Anthony Stolarz partway through a game and being told it was a minor tweak that was not serous, to then news then coming out that Stolarz wouldn't play over the weekend and Hildeby would be recalled for the back-to-back games.
Earlier this week it was determined that Stolarz would require surgery in New York and is now out until likely after the Four Nations Cup.
In the three games since the injury, Hildeby started one of those contests against the Buffalo Sabres where he turned away 24 of 27 shots for his second career victory. However, when the news came out that Stolarz would be out longer than expected many speculated that Murray would be recalled.
Matt Murray ready to return to Toronto Maple Leafs
Murray has been battling back from hip surgery he had in the summer of 2023 and had been rock solid in the American hockey League with the Toronto Marlies. With all eyes on him Wednesday night, Murray backstopped the Marlies to a 3-0 victory over his former team the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins after turning away 27 shots for the shutout. Murray has started seven games posting a 4-1-2 record with a tidy 1.85 goals against average and .931 save percentage.
Murray was acquired by former general manager Kyle Dubas in the summer of 2022 from the Ottawa Senators where they also received a pair of mid to late round draft picks and their provincial rivals retained a portion of the salary.
When they acquired the former Sault Ste. Marie Greyhound, the Maple Leafs management were aware they weren't getting the goalie who helped backstop the Pittsburgh Penguins to back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2016 and 2017, but were hoping a healthy Murray could get the team over the hump in the playoffs.
After a month stint on the injured reserve list to start the season, Murray appeared to have things going as he went through a stretch from mid November 2022 until mid January 2023 he posted an 11-4-2 record with a 2.66 GAA and .914 save percentage until an injury knocked him out for a couple months and he was never able to regain his game. (stats naturalstattrick.com).
This past summer Murray signed a one-year contract to return to the Maple Leafs and he is making $100,000 above the league minimum. The Leafs play the Sabres Tonight.