Leafs goalie Murray wants to "leave it all out there" on comeback attempt
Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Matt Murray might have been on a long road back to being an NHL regular, but it seems he’s finally getting closer to that finish line.
“I haven’t felt this good physically in a long time,” Murray told reporters today. “Getting back in there was great. Getting my feet wet a little bit… a little bit of a challenge coming in halfway like that after sitting for a while. But, you know, that kind of stuff is what it is.”
After winning Stanley Cups in 2016 and 2017, Murray’s time in the NHL has been overwrought with injury struggles, having missed nearly all of last season and much of the previous one.
Murray currently likely slots third on the depth chart behind Joseph Woll and Anthony Stolarz, but is pushing to earn some time in Toronto’s net this season. Murray signed a one-year deal with the Leafs for $875,000 this summer and hopes to play in NHL games for the first time in nearly two years.
“I still have a lot to give, it’s competition,” Murray added. “I think I just got to bring everything I have every day, to leave it all out there, and let the rest take care of itself.”
Acquired from the Ottawa Senators in a 2022 trade, Murray went 14-8-2 in 26 games with a goals against average of 3.01 and a save percentage of .903 for the Maple Leafs in the 2022-23 campaign.
This past season, Murray played just three games in the AHL for the Toronto Marlies, putting up a .846 save percentage and a 4.06 goals against average, before undergoing hip surgery last October.
“I think the most important thing for me is just [to] take things one day at a time,” Murray added. “I show what I can do, and all the decisions aren’t up to me. So that’s, that’s the way I look at it.”
Murray also gave a shoutout to the Leafs’ training and coaching staff for helping get him back up to speed.
“Here in Toronto, it’s a special group, not just the guys in the room, which, which goes without saying, but, you know, the training room and the gym guys and everybody that creates, an unbelievable environment here for us,” Murray said. “That stuff, it’s invaluable.”
Toronto will get their season going on October 9, when they visit the Montreal Canadiens.