It’s evident that the goaltending duo in the crease for the Toronto Maple Leafs this season is going to be Joseph Woll and Anthony Stolarz. Woll received an extension and Stolarz was brought in for more reassurance, stability and the potential to steal the starter role. Both goaltenders are going to form a tandem that could potentially be tough to beat.
However, there’s still one more thing to consider when looking at the goaltending position for the 2024-25 season. The return of veteran goaltender Matt Murray, who signed a one-year, $875,000 deal.
Murray is definitely going to be battling to fight for a roster spot this season. He’s already in tough given that the first two spots are already locked in and it’s all but likely that he’ll be the third string goalie. Now that he’s healthy and ready to get back on the ice, what’s the best place for him heading into this season? Would it be in the American Hockey League or could the team carry three goalies in the NHL?
Murray Provides Extra Depth
Murray has a lot to prove this season. It’s a big hill for him to climb at this point after he missed the majority of the 2023-24 season due to bilateral hip surgery. While he didn’t suit up in the NHL, he did see some time with the Toronto Marlies in the AHL. He started to practice with the big club before being sent down on a conditioning stint in order to get up to speed late in the season. With the Marlies, he went 1-2 with a .846 save percentage and a 4.03 goals against average.
On the surface that doesn’t look great, but he did return from injury that required major surgery. While he needed time to get up to speed, there were some positives as he looked more comfortable with his movement and wasn’t showing any signs of hinderance. He did whatever he could to comeback and as a result he earned an extension with the team to show that he could provide more of an impact.
Keeping Murray on board does give the Maple Leafs plenty of options for this season. More importantly it gives them added depth in goal, much like Martin Jones did last season. We know that Woll’s injury history is a main topic of discussion for this season. When healthy, he’s shown to be a top goaltender. He posted very strong numbers in the postseason (.964 SV%, 0.86 GAA), but he missed a good amount of time during the regular season and wasn’t available for a pivotal Game 7 against the Boston Bruins. If they want to have any success, they need him to be healthy.
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Which is why bringing in Stolarz and even Murray comes into play. If Stolarz assumes the starter role–even though he has minimal experience– Murray can come in, earn some starts and provide some steady play that he has shown in the past before his injuries started to affect him. If Woll stays healthy, then the Leafs have a strong trio of goalies as Murray would be the third string.
Murray in AHL Could Hinder Prospect Development
The Maple Leafs have shown that they’re comfortable carrying three goalies. But if they don’t then Murray would require waivers and be sent down to the AHL. There’s always a chance that a team could pick him up and then that’ll be a blow to the Maple Leafs depth in goal, but what if Murray clears?
If he does, it would definitely hinder the development of the Maple Leafs goaltending prospects that are starting to show promise and upside. The team hasn’t had many success stories by drafting and developing goaltenders, but with Dennis Hildeby and Artur Akhtyamov improving their value, Murray being the starter in the AHL would stall their development.
Hildeby was among some of the best goalies in the AHL last season, going 21-11-7 with a .913 SV% and 2.41 GAA. Akhytamov was the best goalie in the VHL and won the league championship, having a .927 SV% in the regular season and a .932 in the postseason. With the Maple Leafs top goaltending prospects in North America and showing great results with their pro experience, it wouldn’t be right to take that away from them as they continue to develop.
There could be an instance where maybe Akhtyamov could start in the ECHL, leaving a spot open for a Hildeby/ Murray tandem. Even then Hildeby has already established himself as a starter at that level and is continuing to set his sights on the NHL. Murray would be a back-up but to take away those opportunities from younger players after what they accomplished last season probably isn’t the best course of action.
Maple Leafs Can’t Go Wrong Carrying 3 Goalies
In order to not derail the development of the prospects in the system, it would be best for the Maple Leafs to carry Murray as a third goalie. There’s always the risk they could lose him and the depth would be weaker.
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Seeing as they need as much reassurance given Woll’s health concerns and Stolarz not being an established starter, Murray’s past experience shows that while he’s not a starter anymore, he can play the same role that Jones did last season and be called upon when needed. Jones was a hit or miss player last season. If Murray could provide slightly better results, it could be a big reason why the crease could be an area of strength.
