Matt Murray trade: Who won the Maple Leafs and Senators deal?

Maple Leafs grade: C-

Well, this was certainly a trade, eh? Instead of re-signing Jack Campbell (31-9-0 with a .914 save percentage last year) to a similar AAV but for longer term, the Maple Leafs will allow the netminder to test free agency as they trade for Murray.

Over the last three seasons, Murray has a 35-36-8 record with an .899 save percentage and has been, to put it lightly, not very good at all in his final year in Pittsburgh then with Ottawa. It’s been a tale of two halves for Murray, who won two Stanley Cups and posted a .917 save percentage in his first 161 games in the NHL.

But since then, Murray has never been able to recapture the magic as he floundered in Ottawa, lost the starter’s net, and battled with injuries. For a team like the Maple Leafs looking to win now with the core they have, they’re risking a lot hoping Murray returns to his Stanley Cup winning form.

The thought process from Kyle Dubas and the Maple Leafs front office on this move doesn’t make sense with the information we have. Yes, maybe Murray finds himself again in Toronto with a change of scenery, but it’s a major risk nonetheless. And for a team like the Maple Leafs, who are as cap-strapped as they are, they probably would have been better suited to spending their money elsewhere.