Leaf Fans
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Everyone cares. Everyone wants us to be better in the playoffs and go on a run.
Confirmed with Link: [TOR/OTT] Matt Murray (25% retention), a 3rd in 2023 and a 7th in 2024 for Future Considerations.
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This could be ok if there is some kind of handshake agreement where Murray is "injured" after a certain period of things not going well, and get's LTIR'd for life, freeing up cap space to trade for Goalie or another asset. This is the only thing I'm clinging to.
Stephen
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That seems to be quite an obvious escape for someone who has been injured so much, but whatever bet Dubas elected to make, I think we'll have to give Murray a little bit of leeway to get established. Hope for the best.
Mess
Global Moderator
Murray was a good goalie once upon a time in a land far away, and its that hope that he can return to that level again.
Jack Campbell was a bet on a goalie that never was more than a backup/part-timer to be the answer to go all the way come playoff time with no history to suggests its possible.
Perhaps it is a safer bet, that once was will be again, when it comes to Stanley Cup success, then it was on someone that never was, when you are looking for a fairly tale happy ending,.
Murray was a good goalie last year when he was healthy.
capfit9
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He's definitely struggled with his health in Ottawa, but there seem to be a lot of signs pointing to that being more of an Ottawa issue. Hopefully he can take advantage of the health resources Toronto has to offer and stay healthy.
capfit9
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What about in Pittsburgh? He played the most games on the team every year in Pittsburgh.
That was a long time ago. He's not the same guy now. He wasn't even the best analytical goalie that was available. That goes to Comrie. His goals saved above expected per 60 was 2nd to Shesterkin.
capfit9
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Careful
Did you double check if he still played the most games for them during these seasons?
So it looks like he missed 48 games in Pittsburgh, out of a possible 435. So like 10%? Doesn't seem very abnormal for a goalie.
Comrie had a good 19 games last year, but he's also 27, has a grand total of 29 NHL games, zero playoff experience, and that was the first time he was good.
Bomber0104
Registered User
It’s high when you recognize a simple truism about professional sports, that injuries stack up and become more frequent as players age, therefore looking at the 23/24 year player’s old self is nowhere near as relevant as what has happened over the most recent 2-3 years.
This is where we’re at with Murray, betting against the odds that he’ll play at the health of his much-younger self and not the most recent 2-3 years; the years of most significance.
The few fans here that thought the Mrazek signing was poor pointed to his injury history as the reason he was overpaid by Dubas. They were proven right and it’s going to be no different again here with this risk.
He hasn't even been backup level until this past year. Hitching your wagon to a guy with 29 career NHL games, no history as a starter, and no history in the playoffs is incredibly risky.
If we're talking about what usually happens in professional sports, most goalies don't completely break down by age 28. Betting on that would be betting against the odds. I'm not sure that what happened in Ottawa is especially relevant considering that we know that Murray's health was not treated properly in Ottawa.
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Bomber0104
Registered User
You can not “completely break down” but also not be of use to a team still via injuries, a la Mrazek last year.
Murray could play great for the same 24-27 games he played over the past two years but if that’s all he can contribute then that badly hurts the Leafs at the most valuable position while making $4.6M cap hit.
Injuries could come at the most inopportune moment similar to what happened in Pittsburgh when he went down for the entire playoffs.
It's incredibly rare for a 28-year old to be irredeemable injury-wise. And a reminder that there only were 56 games in 2021. They obviously expect him to play more than ~25 games, and they're the ones with a team of professional doctors that spent a significant amount of time looking through his medical records.
Bomber0104
Registered User
Age and injury history is against him and I’d hope the bare minimum for acquiring an NHL goalie for a good chunk of salary cap is knowing he’s healthy for pre-season. That’s due diligence and the bare minimum anyone should expect. Let’s not pretend the Leafs did something out of the ordinary there.
It’s what happens in the season that matters and we’re going to find out again, similar to Mrazek, whether the decision was ok.
Dubas absolutely failed with that signing so hopefully this one isn’t nearly as costly both competitively and also to escape from if the contract needs removing from the team, should it go wrong.
Much riskier than Murray.
One is a 28-year old goalie with 297 career NHL games, who has a significant sample as a starting goalie, a significant sample of high quality play, a significant sample in the playoffs, and multiple cups.
The other is a 27 year old goalie with 29 career NHL games, who has no sample as a starting goalie, a tiny sample of high quality play, and no playoff history.
No, age and history are with him. It's incredibly rare for a 28-year old to be irredeemable injury-wise.
Mrazek didn't really cost us in a competitive sense, and he barely cost anything to "escape from". But yes, hopefully Murray works out much better.
Stephen
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Matt Murray has always been a band-aid, even in Pittsburgh. Here's a headline from 2018:
pittsburghhockeynow.com
www.tsn.ca
Even as far back as the 2017 run, Marc-Andre Fleury played 15 games to Murray's cup clinching 12.
There's no point in trying to frame his injury track record another way. Just hope our staff can load manage him properly and there's enough redundancy in the tandem with Samsonov that we can navigate the 82 game regular season and have a hot hand during the playoff run.
Matt-alytics: Matt Murray Injury Numbers are Staggering
Murray has some history to overcome as he prepares for what would be his third Stanley Cup playoff run.
pittsburghhockeynow.com
Murray has dealt with injuries over NHL career - TSN.ca
Championships and injuries have made the first three seasons of Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Matt Murray’s NHL career very eventful. Is Murray injury prone, unlucky or a combination for the two?
www.tsn.ca
Even as far back as the 2017 run, Marc-Andre Fleury played 15 games to Murray's cup clinching 12.
There's no point in trying to frame his injury track record another way. Just hope our staff can load manage him properly and there's enough redundancy in the tandem with Samsonov that we can navigate the 82 game regular season and have a hot hand during the playoff run.
acrobaticgoalie
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- Jun 18, 2014
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Agree with this. This could be a very solid tandem. Wouldn't mind just seeing them splitting starts. Keep Murray healthy and fresh for playoffs where he shines. At least Samsonov is young and I dont think he has had many injuries to this point, so we can count on him to carry the load if Murray does go down.Matt Murray has always been a band-aid, even in Pittsburgh. Here's a headline from 2018:
Matt-alytics: Matt Murray Injury Numbers are Staggering
Murray has some history to overcome as he prepares for what would be his third Stanley Cup playoff run.
Murray has dealt with injuries over NHL career - TSN.ca
Championships and injuries have made the first three seasons of Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Matt Murray’s NHL career very eventful. Is Murray injury prone, unlucky or a combination for the two?
Even as far back as the 2017 run, Marc-Andre Fleury played 15 games to Murray's cup clinching 12.
There's no point in trying to frame his injury track record another way. Just hope our staff can load manage him properly and there's enough redundancy in the tandem with Samsonov that we can navigate the 82 game regular season and have a hot hand during the playoff run.
This tandem could also end up being bad but I think I'm more optimistic with this pairing than I was with Campbell and Mrazek. I'm more optimistic too with the fact that we have a goalie coach who has worked extensively with Murray his whole life as well as a coach who seemingly did a great job in Vancouver as well as actually played in the show. Both guys seem to be very motivated and I expect them both to have much better seasons than last year.
ACC1224
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It’s amazing (but not surprising in the least) that the Mrazek and Murray moves that have universally been looked at as failures can be so rigorously defended by the folks at Dubas HQ. 
Defense never rests, it must be exhausting.
Defense never rests, it must be exhausting.
Leaf Fans
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I didn't mind the Murray move. I am not exhausted. Then again, I am nowhere near Dubas HQ.It’s amazing (but not surprising in the least) that the Mrazek and Murray moves that have universally been looked at as failures can be so rigorously defended by the folks at Dubas HQ.
Defense never rests, it must be exhausting.
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