Matt Murray to Start in Goal for Maple Leafs vs. Sabres on Saturday

Murray will make his third consecutive start in goal for the Leafs against a team he reportedly refused to be traded to this year.

Matt Murray will start in goal for the Toronto Maple Leafs when the host the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday.

The start will mark the goaltender’s third consecutive appearance in Toronto’s net since returning from a month-long adductor injury. 

Murray did not join his teammates for practice on Friday, but did put some work in with Leafs goaltending coach Curtis Sanford before the team’s practice began.

“Yeah we’re just managing his workload,” Maple Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe said of Murray departing early.

The Maple Leafs have been cautious with their goaltender since his return. Murray didn’t join the team for a mandatory morning skate on Thursday ahead of the goaltender’s scheduled home debut against the New Jersey Devils.

The 28-year-old has been solid in goal for Toronto since his return. He is 1-0-1 with a .929 save percentage in November.

This will be Murray’s first start against the Sabres since he reportedly used his no-trade clause to veto a trade from Ottawa to Buffalo.

Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman was the first to report in July that the Sabres and Senators had been talking trade when Murray used his contractual right to stick to his 10-team no-trade list, which included the Sabres.

TSN’s Darren Dreger added that part of the deal would have seen. In addition to the Sens retaining salary, the Sabres would have flipped the 16th overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft for Ottawa’s seventh.

The Senators ended up eating 25 percent of Murray’s $6.25 million salary cap hit in a trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs a few days later. Toronto also acquired a third-round draft pick in 2023 and a seventh-round pick in 2024.

Buffalo ended up signing Eric Comrie to a two-year, $3.6 million contract instead of acquiring Murray. On Friday, it was revealed that Comrie would miss “multiple weeks” with a lower-body injury.

The Sabres practiced in Buffalo on Friday despite heavy snowfall impacting the area. According to reports, the team’s practice happened just outside of the worst affected area of the winter storm.