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Meet the Newest Seattle Kraken: Matt Murray
Matt Murray, Toronto Maple Leafs (Jess Starr/The Hockey Writers)

Free agency opened up for the NHL on July 1. Several teams participated in signing new players to their teams, including the Seattle Kraken. They signed goaltender Matt Murray to a one-year contract with an average annual value (AAV) of $1 million. Let’s take a look at Murray’s career in the NHL so far.

Murray Got His Start in Pittsburgh 

Murray was drafted in the third round, 83rd overall, by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2012 NHL Draft. Before being drafted, he played in the Ontario Hockey League for the Soo Greyhounds. In the 2012-13 season, the first after he was drafted, he continued playing for the Greyhounds. Murray played 53 games and earned a record of 26-19-4. He recorded a goals-against average (GAA) of 3.67 and a save percentage (SV%) of .894. He played 49 games for the Greyhounds in the 2013-14 season and earned a record of 32-11-6. He earned a SV% of .921 and a GAA of 2.57. These were his best stats in the OHL so far. He also played his first game in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Although the game resulted in a loss, he recorded a SV% of .920. 

The 2014-15 season was Murray’s first full-time season in the AHL. He played 40 games and earned a record of 25-10-4. He recorded his lowest GAA in his AHL career, 1.58, and a SV% of .931. 

The 2015-16 season was special for Murray. He continued in the AHL, playing 31 games with a record of 20-9-1. On Dec. 19, 2015, he played his first NHL game. The game resulted in a loss, but he made 26 saves and allowed only two goals. He played 13 total regular-season games in the 2015-16 season and earned a record of 9-2-1. He finished the regular season, as Marc-Andre Fleury was out with a concussion and could not play. Due to this, Murray also played in a majority of the postseason games. He played 21 playoff games and earned a record of 15-6-0. His performance contributed to the Penguins’ Stanley Cup win in 2016. 

Murray’s stellar postseason performance earned him the starting goaltender role. He played 49 regular-season games and recorded a record of 29-14-6, including four shutouts. Once again, the Penguins made the playoffs. Murray only played 11 postseason games, recording seven wins and three losses. He helped the Penguins hoist the Stanley Cup once again in 2017. 

Murray continued as the starter in the 2018-19 season, playing 50 regular-season games. His record was 29-14-6 with a SV% of .919 and a GAA of 2.69. He played 12 postseason games and earned six wins and six losses. 

In the 2019-20 season, Murray played 38 games. His record was 20-11-5 with a SV% of .899 and a GAA of 2.87. He split his game time between Tristan Jarry during this season, who took over in the AHL for Murray while he was playing in the NHL. After the 2019-20 season was over, it was the last season in which Murray would wear Penguins colors. 

Murray Headed North 

On Oct. 7, 2020, the Penguins traded Murray to the Ottawa Senators in exchange for Jonathan Gruden and a second-round pick in the 2020 Draft. Murray spent two seasons with Ottawa, 2020-21 and 2021-22. He played 47 regular-season games and his record was 15-25-3. 

On July 11, 2022, Murray was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for a third-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft and a seven-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft. Murray played 26 games in the 2023-24 season and went 14-8-2. For the 2024-25 season, he only played two regular-season games. He earned a GAA of 3.54 and a SV% of .879, his lowest in his NHL career. He spent more time back in the AHL with the Toronto Marlies. He played 21 games and went 10-5-6. With a GAA of 1.72 and a SV% of .934, Murray found some success back in the AHL. 

Murray’s Future in Seattle 

With Ales Stezka signing in Czechia, the Coachella Valley Firebirds, Seattle’s AHL team, are down to two goaltenders in Victor Ostmann and Nikke Kokko. The 2024-25 season was Ostmann’s first time playing with the Firebirds, and he played a majority of the last season with the Kansas City Mavericks, Seattle’s ECHL team. It was also Kokko’s first season in the AHL. While Stezka was not a veteran by any means, he was still Coachella Valley’s starting goaltender in just his second year in the league. 

With two goaltenders entering their sophomore season, the Firebirds are looking to bolster their roster with a more veteran presence. Enter Murray. He has several seasons of experience in both the AHL and NHL, including postseason games. He will not only be a great starting goaltender for Coachella Valley, but he will also be a great mentor for these two young goaltenders.

This article first appeared on The Hockey Writers and was syndicated with permission.

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