Craig Berube Breaks Silence On Matt Murray Replacing Anthony Stolarz
Matt Murray recorded a shutout for the Marlies and the Maple Leafs' head coach was impressed and hinted at his possible return to the NHL squad.
The Toronto Maple Leafs secured themselves a 5-3 victory over the Dallas Stars on Wednesday night and backed by a sensational performance from Joseph Woll, the team took it to the Central Division juggernauts.
But with Anthony Stolarz being injured and Joseph Woll needing himself a more consistent backup as he's currently got rookie Dennis Hildeby backing him up.
While he's been decent, he's still not NHL-ready and Woll needs a dependable backup for the few weeks Stolarz is out.
So with that being said it looks like they might have a solution in their junior squad with Matt Murray, a veteran who just returned from injury and hasn't played in the NHL since April 2023.
Craig Berube's Impressed With Matt Murray
Speaking to the media after the win against the Stars, Berube also commented on his thoughts of Murray joining the team, adding he was impressed especially coming off a shutout:
Those decisions could have a very big impact on the outlook of the Maple Leafs season especially at a crucial time of the year.
December is currently the busiest month they've had, and with several back to back games it's hard to warrant starting Hildeby on those second nights.
Bringing in a proven winner like Murray, who has held down the fort before for the Maple Leafs during injury crises, he would add much more stability and readiness than Hildeby.
The Leafs don't have the toughest schedule ahead of them although they do face Winnipeg and though they found success against the Jets earlier, it was Stolarz who led them to victory.
For Murray, the return to the NHL would be one 20 months in the making.
Not having played since April 2023, it's a remarkable comeback story if Murray were to earn the callup.
A two-time Stanley Cup winner with Pittsburgh, Murray underwent a major hip surgery last year and has finally made his way back to the ice, and to great success too.
With Toronto last year, Murray went 14-8-2 with a 3.01 GAA and .903 SV%.
It would be a huge boost for the Maple Leafs if Murray were to come in healthy and provide stability between the pipes for a handful of games.
Woll is the unquestioned starter, but Murray has proven he can lead a team when times get tough, and things aren't any tougher for the team than they are right now.
Murray has earned the praise of Berube and would bring a very crucial aspect to a team that is highly dependent on their goaltending.
Toronto has some big decisions to make and Murray is at the forefront of their priorities.
