Former Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Matt Murray is resuming his career in the Toronto Maple Leafs organization but did so Saturday on a conditioning stint in the American Hockey League.
Murray stopped 22 of 27 shots in his first game with the Toronto Marlies, earning a 6-5 shootout win and clinching a playoff berth.
Murray, 29, is almost seven years removed from his second Stanley Cup championship with the Penguins. Murray won two Cups before his rookie status expired. However, his performance faltered in the following seasons.
In 2020, the Penguins traded Murray to the Ottawa Senators for a second-round pick and prospect Jonathan Gruden. Ottawa signed Murray, a restricted free agent, to a four-year, $25 million contract, but he struggled through two seasons with them before they traded him to the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Murray battled injuries and ineffectiveness, playing only 27 games last season and not more than 37 games since 2019-20. He hasn’t played at all this season after having bilateral hip surgery in October. Murray was expected to be out for six to eight months.
Saturday, Murray, who is a pending unrestricted free agent, resumed his career on an LTIR conditioning assignment. Such rehab assignments can last up to six days and three games, which means Murray will finish the regular season in the AHL but could be available for the Toronto Maple Leafs in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Toronto’s goalie depth chart currently includes Ilya Samsonov, Martin Jones, and Joseph Woll.
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