'A Very Good Sign': Matt Murray Faces Shots Ahead of Maple Leafs Practice, But Still 'Long Ways Away' From Game Action
Although he's still a ways away from a return, the Maple Leafs are encouraged to see Murray on the ice with his teammates.
Matt Murray has taken another step in his recovery from his bilateral hip surgery before the season started.
On Friday afternoon, the 29-year-old goaltender was seen on the ice taking shots from teammates ahead of Maple Leafs practice. It's the first time Murray has been spotted on the ice with players since he had surgery.
Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe said on Feb. 26 that the netminder was seeing pucks. But this development should be encouraging for the future if the Maple Leafs ever need to use Murray in game action.
"Yeah, a very good sign. He has been out there a little bit with guys here and there. But today was probably the biggest step he's taken in terms of our guys being out there and taking part in some of our skill drills," Keefe said following practice on Friday.
"He had some power play work before practice. So yeah, a great sign he's moving well. He's a long ways a way from being an option for games or anything like that. But it seems like the work that he's put in and the recovery that he's had has served him well."
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The Maple Leafs announced on July 26 that Murray would be out indefinitely and that his $4.6875 million cap hit would be placed on long-term injured reserve at the beginning of this season.
While it's possible that the two-time Stanley Cup champion goaltender could make a return, it's highly unlikely because of Toronto's cap situation, plus the fact that they already have Ilya Samsonov, Joseph Woll, and Martin Jones on their roster.
It's entirely probable that Murray comes off long-term injured reserve once the playoffs begin as there's no salary cap in the postseason. But as for right now, the Maple Leafs are just happy to see him recovering well.
"He's been doing great. He was looking really good. I really admire the way he comes in every day and he works," said Auston Matthews of Murray on Friday.
"It's not easy to do when you're working out by yourself a lot, spending a lot of time alone, spending a lot of time with the trainers and stuff like that, and not around the team all the time. But it's always nice to see him here and it's been really encouraging to see him on the ice and getting back to himself."
Murray is in the final year of a four-year, $25 million contract he signed with the Ottawa Senators on Oct. 9, 2020. After struggling with injuries in Ottawa, the Senators traded him to Toronto along with a seventh-round pick in 2024, while also retaining 25% ($1.5625 million) of his salary in exchange for future considerations.
He appeared in 26 games for the Maple Leafs and finished the 2022-23 season with 14 wins and a .903 save percentage.
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