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Thoughts on the Matt Murray Rumor

September 3, 2020, 12:56 PM ET [55 Comments]
Michael Stuart
Ottawa Senators Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT
TSN’s Frank Seravalli has linked the Ottawa Senators, among other teams, with the Pittsburgh Penguins and goaltender Matt Murray. Murray, who is widely believed to be available via trade, will be a restricted free agent when the league calendar turns over.

It’s no secret that goaltending is viewed as an area of need for the Senators by many, but it’s difficult for me to see Murray as the appropriate solution. Beyond the fact that he’s already 26 years old, being a two-time Stanley Cup winner will almost certainly result in him landing a beyond-market value deal, both in term and dollar. This, despite posting an .899 save percentage last season. Betting significant chips on a bounce back is risky business, and even his career .914 save percentage is hardly worth dumping quality prospects or picks. Good goaltending is findable without the help of the trade and restricted free agent markets.

To illustrate that point, consider these Stanley Cup playoffs: Goaltending is inherently unpredictable. Michael Hutchinson has pulled the Colorado Avalanche back from the brink of virtually-certain elimination. Anton Khudobin has taken the Dallas Stars on a nice run. Jacob Markstrom, who passed through waivers unclaimed just a few seasons ago, looks like one of the best goaltenders in the world. Those are just a few examples that serve to illustrate the point that spending big on goaltending is an overrated proposition. Paying what the Penguins and Murray are sure to demand just doesn’t seem necessary, especially when you remember that Murray will be pushing 30 by the time this Senators team is ready to compete for the Stanley Cup.

The other factor to look at here is the Senators’ depth at the goaltending position. It’s true that Ottawa doesn’t have a “best goalie prospect in the world” sort of name in the system, but, given the variability in goaltending performance, sometimes a bevy of quantity is good enough to find a quality starter. Marcus Hogberg showed incredibly well behind a porous Ottawa defence last season. Anders Nilsson, when healthy, was perfectly fine as a starter. Then there’s the list of other prospects: Kevin Mandolese, Mads Sogaard, Filip Gustavsson, and Joey Daccord. What’s the point here? That the Senators have a decently good shot of finding a capable starter among the multitude of names they already have in the system. Giving up assets to bring in a new name without an elite pedigree, specifically at this stage of the team’s development curve, seems patently necessary.

What are your thoughts on the Senators and a potential Matt Murray trade? Is now the right time? Where does a fair price land? Let me know in the comments section.

As always, thanks for reading.
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