Former Champion Trying to Revive Career With Maple Leafs

The Toronto Maple Leafs are hoping goaltender Matt Murray can revive his career with the organization.

Mar 18, 2023; Ottawa, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Matt Murray (30) warms up prior to the start of game against the Ottawa Senators at the Canadian Tire Centre. Mandatory Credit: Marc DesRosiers-USA TODAY Sports / Marc DesRosiers-USA TODAY Sports

The Toronto Maple Leafs have been trying to solve their goaltending issues for years. The starting position has been a revolving door, with Joseph Woll and Anthony Stolarz set to patrol the crease in 2024. Before them, netminders like Ilya Samsonov, Petr Mrazek, Jack Campbell, Michael Hutchison, and Frederik Andersen have all had varying degrees of success in the role since 2016, but no one has lasted longer than the five seasons Andersen stayed with the Leafs.

One of the players hoping to force his way into the Maple Leafs' goaltending situation is Matt Murray. The two-time Stanley Cup winner joined the organization in 2022, but missed the entirety of the 2023 season due to hip injuries. At 30 years old, he hasn't been an NHL quality goaltender the past few years in large part due to those worsening injuries and opted for surgery on both hips in 2023.

Nearly a year later, Murray is back to full health and hoping to challenge for a roster spot with the Maple Leafs. He joined the Slangin' the Bizkit podcast recently and spoke about the difficult road it's been for him after beginning his career with so much success.

“I’ve dealt with hip pain going back to as far as Wilkes-Barre when I was like 20 or 21,” he said. “It just got to a point where it was starting to mess up everything else. I was starting to get low back issues, starting to pull my groin a lot, and starting to get a lot of ankle stuff."

2024 is the season to prove that is behind Murray. He's played in just 26 NHL games since the 2022 season began, but he's eager to get to training camp and the preseason to prove he can still play in the NHL and contribute to the Maple Leafs' success. He's now back to 100% after surgery and a year plus of rehab.

“This year is just about proving that I can stay healthy and that I got a nice little reset with the surgery," he said. “That’s why I took a one-year deal and it’s kind of like a ‘prove it’ deal to see what I can do."

It's been a long road to getting healthy for Murray and now the next test is waiting. The Maple Leafs have a need in net, and if Murray can maintain his health and re-find his poise, he could revive his career this season in Toronto.

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