The Devils should give Matt Murray a PTO look

September is nearly upon us, with rookies reporting to New Jersey Devils training camp less than two weeks away. With that, it's Professional Tryout (PTO) season, and the Devils would be wise to look at a few options.

One intriguing name in particular is Matt Murray, a goaltender who last played for the Seattle Kraken in 2025-26. He only logged five games, but posted a .922 save percentage (SV%) and had a goals saved above expected (GSAx) of +2.27 in those five appearances. He likely would have made more starts were he fully healthy -- he got injured in mid-November and didn't appear in a game afterwards.

Perhaps it's that injury history that has NHL GMs worried about bringing him on, but Murray has been a strong option at both the NHL and AHL levels over the years. He may not be the once-starting-caliber goalie he was in the mid-to-late 2010s, but he is still capable of providing a team with quality starts in the big leagues or below.

He last logged at least 20 games in the 2024-25 season, where he played 21 games at the AHL level with the Toronto Marlies and an additional two games for the Maple Leafs. His NHL numbers weren't anything to write home about, but he did post a .934 SV% with the Marlies, logging an additional playoff start where he had a .920.

In the event that Murray is brought on with a PTO and subsequently signed, the reality of the situation is that the Devils would not have a use for him at the NHL level, barring some injury setback to one of their three NHL-caliber goalies. Right now, their top call-up option for health is Jakub Málek, who had trouble acclimating to North American pace at points last season and has zero NHL experience. It has been proven that none of Jake Allen, Nico Daws, or David Rittich can handle a starter workload at this point in time, so if they do get down to two goalies from injuries, having a third to pop in net occasionally should be a consideration.

Even at the AHL level, Málek does need some help. Right now, on paper, he will be backed up by either Jeremy Brodeur or Seth Eisele, both of whom have spent the vast majority of their professional careers in the ECHL. That isn't to say that they aren't capable netminders for the Utica Comets, but wouldn't it be nice to have a backup who has a track record of supplying his team with excellent numbers? After all, improving the Comets has been a point of focus for the men up top.

With that, Murray should be heavily considered for a PTO -- the absolute worst that comes of it is that he plays poorly and doesn't earn a contract.