Groin discomfort for Matt Murray sparks goalie concerns for Maple Leafs

It took just two games and a handful of skates for the goaltending situation to take an uncertain twist for the Toronto Maple Leafs and Matt Murray.

Goaltender Matt Murray, the scheduled starter for the Maple Leafs against the Ottawa Senators on Saturday night, left the morning skate with a groin injury, according to coach Sheldon Keefe, throwing his immediate availability in flux. 

“We’ll get him assessed here this afternoon, I guess, or in the next little bit and make some determinations on his status for tonight based on that,” Keefe said, according to TSN. “It’s still too early at this point to really give you much in terms of the what-if scenarios or anything like that. We’ll just focus on getting Matt assessed and take it from there.”

Murray, who made 19 of 23 saves in Toronto’s season-opening 4-3 loss at the Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday, could still play if cleared, according to Keefe. 

If he’s not cleared, the Maple Leafs could be in some trouble. 

Toronto sits at the maximum 50 contracts, including four goaltenders — Murray, Ilya Samsonov, Erik Kallgren and Dennis Hildeby. Kallgren was injured in a game with the Toronto Marlies on Friday, according to Mike Stephens of The Hockey News, and Hildeby currently plays with Färjestad BK in the Swedish Hockey League.

It would require them to sign a goaltender to an amateur try-out, as a backup for Samsonov, to stay within the 50-contract limit. Samsonov, who made 24 saves in a 3-2 win against the Washington Capitals on Tuesday, would start.

Jett Alexander or Rayce Ramsay of the University of Toronto, or Toronto Metropolitan University goalies Kai Edmonds or Ryan Dugas could be candidates to play, according to Ben Steiner.

Goaltending was a hot-button issue this summer in Toronto.

Murray, who helped backstop the Pittsburgh Penguins to Stanley Cups in 2016 and 2017, has had no shortage of injury concerns in his career.

He went 15-25-3 with a goals-against average of 3.23 and a save percentage of .899 in 47 games over the past two seasons with the Ottawa Senators before joining the Maple Leafs.