John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

Maple Leafs Suffer Loss as Stanley Cup-Winning Goalie Joins Pacific Division Team

Originally posted on Blade of Steel | By Tom Banks | Last updated Jul 3, 2025 10:22 AM ET

Matt Murray wasn't able to contribute much in Toronto, but now that he's healthy, the former Stanley Cup Champion is headed to the Seattle Kraken in free agency.

NHL free agency has been chaos through the first two days, and with so many surprise signings, it's no doubt been hard for fans to keep up with everything that has gone on so far.

One intriguing move that has gone under the radar came from the Seattle Kraken, as the team followed up the additions of Mason Marchment and Ryan Lindgren among others with a move to acquire goaltender Matt Murray, who most recently played with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

On paper, he's a player that Toronto can easily let go of, as he never quite lived up to expectations due to his injury history, and with both Joseph Woll and Anthony Stolarz in net, he simply wasn't needed with other depth goaltenders in the organization.

Given how well he started his career before the injuries struck, Murray has plenty of support from fans around the NHL to turn it around and get healthy, but in Seattle, it's unclear if he's going to get that chance.

Sure, no team is going to sign Murray to be their starter at this point in his career, but in Seattle, both Joey Daccord and Phillip Grubaer are ahead of him on the depth chart, so it's unclear just how much he'll see the ice in Seattle.

Ultimately though, the Maple Leafs simply didn't need to bring Murray back, and with the veteran believing he can get things back on track in Seattle, it was a move that benefitted everyone involved in this situation.

This article first appeared on Blade of Steel and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: