Report: Maple Leafs are “close” to acquiring Matt Murray

You'd better brace yourselves, Maple Leafs fans. 

The Leafs are already guaranteed to have at least one new face between the pipes next year, as general manager Kyle Dubas actually traded down in the 2022 NHL Draft in order to rid themselves of the struggling and injury-prone Petr Mrazek in a deal with the Chicago Blackhawks. And with starter Jack Campbell appearing to be all but officially out the door, it looks as though Dubas will be bringing aboard another struggling and injury-prone goaltender as a replacement.

According to NHL Insider Darren Dreger, the Leafs are "close" to acquiring Matt Murray from the Ottawa Senators. Yes, you read that correctly. 

Murray, who was once regarded as one of the top young goaltenders in the League after helping the Pittsburgh Penguins win back to back Stanley Cup championships, has struggled mightily after being inked to a hefty contract by the Senators. They even made the decision to relegate him to the waiver wire less than 14 months after giving him the contract that he's failed to live up to. He's also dealt with concussions and landing on the COVID-19 protocol list. 

Needless to say, this has the potential to spectacularly backfire in the face of Dubas, much like his decision last offseason to give Mrazek a three year deal with an AAV of just under $4 million. 

Of course, Murray also has the potential to recapture some of the magic that helped him lead the Penguins to consecutive Cup wins, though his play over the past few years has been anything but encouraging on that front. 

Murray, who posted a 5-12-2 record last season (before missing the final 28 games with an injury) with a 3.05 goals against average, has two remaining years left on his current deal that carries a $6.25 million cap hit.