Matt Murray back in Maple Leafs crease, getting start against Sabres after long injury absence
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Roll out the Welcome Matt once more.
Matt Murray, whose NHL career appeared to be through a few times, is back — with an inspirational comeback story.
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Matt Murray back in Maple Leafs crease, getting start against Sabres after long injury absence Back to video
He was recalled by the Toronto Maple Leafs from the AHL Marlies on Friday morning and will start against the Buffalo Sabres on Friday night. the Leafs also play on Saturday at home against the New York Islanders.
It has been 18 months since the two-time Stanley Cup winner with Pittsburgh was most recently in an NHL game, returning from bilateral hip surgery in October of 2023.
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Ironic that he could resume life as a Leaf with a game in Buffalo. During his previously rocky road as an Ottawa Senator, Murray was to be moved to the Sabres at the 2022 draft, but the latter club was on his no-trade list.
That led to a rare Leafs-Sens deal. Along with two draft picks, Murray was sent to Toronto with the Sens retaining 25% of his salary to take the majority of his bulky multi-year $6.25-million cap hit and inconsistent play off their hands.
Recalling his success with their OHL Soo Greyhounds, then-Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas and coach Sheldon Keefe put great faith in Murray.
But his long injury history followed him to Toronto. After appearing in the ‘22-23 season opener, he missed significant time with groin, hip and head injuries and watched that year’s playoffs from the sidelines. The following October it was announced he’d undergone the complicated bilateral operation, but not yet 30 years old, he put everything into a six-month rehab and was well enough to play for the AHL Toronto Marlies by the end of last season.
With his big contract expired, he took a minimum salary deal and cleared waivers to became one of three farm-team goalies. His record of 4-1-2 with a .931 save percentage made him hard to ignore when new Leafs netminder Anthony Stolarz needed minor knee surgery, breaking up a successful tandem with Joseph Woll.
The Leafs were unwilling to rush Russian rookie Artur Akhtyamov, combined with Dennis Hildeby’s early season confidence issues.
“He worked extremely hard to get back to this level,” teammate Mitch Marner told media in Buffalo. “It was great to see him back on the ice.”
Hildeby was returned to the Marlies on Friday after struggling through the early stages of an eventual 5-3 home win over Buffalo. Because he was added on an emergency basis just a few days ago, it didn’t matter the NHL’s holiday roster freeze had begun Wednesday. Stolarz will be out four to six weeks.
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