Matt Murray on Conditioning Loan with the Marlies, is he an Option for the Maple Leafs This Year?
Murray had bilateral hip surgery in October and was expected to "miss a minimum of six to eight months."
Matt Murray is taking another step in returning to full health.
The Maple Leafs loaned the goaltender to the Toronto Marlies on Saturday morning for a conditioning stint, signalling he's been medically cleared to see game action following bilateral hip surgery in October.
Murray took part in a full practice on Friday, one day before the Maple Leafs play their final home game of the regular season. TSN's Chris Johnston reported on Wednesday that following being medically cleared, the 29-year-old could be loaned to the Marlies on a conditioning stint.
The goaltender is eligible to remain with the Marlies for six days or three games played by the club.
According to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman, Murray is expected to start in goal when the Marlies visit the Syracuse Crunch on Saturday.
The Marlies can clinch a playoff spot on Saturday against the Crunch.
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 the season.
Murray is in the final year of a four-year, $25 million deal he signed with the Ottawa Senators on Oct. 9, 2020. After struggling with injuries in Ottawa, the Senators traded him and a seventh-round pick in 2024 to Toronto while retaining 25% ($1.5625 million) of his salary in exchange for future considerations.
He appeared in 26 games for the Maple Leafs last season and finished with 14 wins and a .903 save percentage. There is no salary cap once the playoffs begin, meaning the Maple Leafs can activate him and have him on their roster on April 20.
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Murray would likely be Toronto's fourth option given Ilya Samsonov's resurgence along the play of both Joseph Woll and Martin Jones this season.
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