Ottawa will retain 25% of Murray’s salary as part of the trade. Murray has two years remaining on his contract at a $6.25 million cap hit, leaving Toronto on the hook for $4.7 million of Murray’s cap space over the next two years. For now, Murray, 28, a two-time Stanley Cup champion with the Pittsburgh Penguins, projects to be the Maple Leafs’ starting netminder as incumbent Jack Campbell is set to hit the open market this week. Toronto had failed to find a middle ground with Campbell, the team’s No. 1 goaltender over the past season and a half. Campbell now joins Darcy Kueber as the top unrestricted goalie target when the signing period officially begins at 12 p.m. ET Wednesday. The Maple Leafs traded last season’s backup Petr Mrazek to the Chicago Blackhawks last week. Murray is the only goaltender with extensive NHL experience Toronto has on the roster next season, though the Maple Leafs will be looking for another experienced netminder to complement him. 2 Related Murray was drafted 83rd overall by Pittsburgh in the 2012 NHL Draft and began his career there backing up Marc-Andre Fleury. Murray won back-to-back titles in 2016 and 2017, becoming the first rookie goaltender to win back-to-back Stanley Cup championships. Murray was a pending restricted free agent when the Penguins traded him to Ottawa in October 2020 and the Senators signed him to a four-year, $25 million extension. The netminder struggled throughout his tenure in Canada’s capital, going 10-13-1 with an .893 save percentage and 3.38 goals-against average in his first season. In his second season, Murray went winless through his first six games and Ottawa quickly placed him on waivers in November 2021. After the veteran went unclaimed, he was demoted to the franchise’s American Hockey League affiliate, the Belleville Senators. He appeared in two minor-league games, posting a 1-1-0 record and a .906 slugging percentage. Murray returned to the Senators in January and pitched well (5-3-2, .937) before dealing with a pair of injuries late in the year. An upper-body ailment suffered against the Arizona Coyotes on March 5 landed Murray on injured reserve and marked the final game he would play in a Senators uniform. Now, Murray will have a fresh start around some familiar faces. Murray played his junior hockey with the Ontario Hockey League’s Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds under Maple Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe and general manager Kyle Dubas. He also has a long history with Toronto goalie evaluation and development coach Jon Elkin. That could be enough to restore Murray to his former form as a capable No. 1 goaltender.
