Goaltending has been the Toronto Maple Leafs’ Achilles heel over the past few seasons. The time to win is now in Toronto, and Kyle Dubas’s job is on the line unless he finds a netminder to match the complement of skaters he has assembled.
On that basis, the Leafs have been active in their pursuit of an upgrade in net. Elliotte Friedman tweeted that talks between Toronto and divisional rival Ottawa Senators are intensifying as the Leafs set their sights on Matt Murray.
Word is that OTT/TOR have intensified discussions around Matt Murray. We will see how things play out, but those conversations continue.
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) July 10, 2022
Murray has a career 91.1% save percentage, although he’s failed to surpass the 90.6% in any of his last three seasons. The former third-round pick most of last season with the Sens’ AHL affiliate, appearing in just 20 games with the big club and posting a 3.05 goals-against average. Murray has two years remaining on his contract with an average annual cap hit of $6.25 million.
Unless a deal materializes between Jack Campbell and the Leafs before Wednesday, the only netminder they will have under contract will be Erik Kallgren. Campbell is slated to become an unrestricted free agent, and the team traded away Petr Mrazek to the Chicago Blackhawks at the draft.
The goaltending market is moving quickly, with several teams nabbing their starters via trade ahead of free agency. That could force the Leafs into overpaying for an asset rather than being left with an even more underwhelming option.
For now, the Leafs have the second-best odds on the Stanley Cup futures board at FanDuel Sportsbook, priced at +900.
