The Toronto Maple Leafs have called up goaltender Matt Murray, who will be line to start an NHL game for the first time since April 2, 2023. The Leafs head to Buffalo on Friday night to take on the Sabres, and will host the New York Islanders on Saturday night. With Anthony Stolarz on the shelve for at least a month, perhaps two, Murray has a golden opportunity to contribute in the Maple Leafs’ crease.

Murray has battled through a ton of adversity throughout his career, and specifically the past 20 months. He’s managed to work his way back from bilateral hip surgery, and so far this season with the AHL’s Toronto Marlies, he has posted a record of 4-1-2, with a 1.85 goals against average, and .931 save percentage. What should the Leafs be expecting from the two-time Stanley Cup champion netminder?

The last time Murray started an NHL game, he let in two goals on seven shots against the Detroit Red Wings, and was pulled for Ilya Samsonov. Down the stretch of the 2022-23 season, Murray made six appearances in March, before his forgettable performance against the Red Wings. Here’s what went down in those six starts:

Murray deserves a ton of credit for battling his way back into the league. It shows his off his commitment to his craft, his character, and some serious resilience to do whatever he could to get his body right in the offseason, put in the work, and give the Maple Leafs no choice but to give him another look.

Former NHL goaltender Carter Hutton was recently a guest on The Sheet with Jeff Marek, and touched on what he’s seen from Murray this past offseason, while training in Thunder Bay:

With Stolarz unavailable, for now, Murray will likely be the primary back up for Joseph Woll, helping out in spot duty for back-to-back games. But, who knows how it could all play out? If Murray gets back in an NHL crease and carries on his strong play from with the Marlies this season, there’s certainly a good chance Craig Berube goes back to more of a tandem approach with Murray and Woll, to ensure Woll’s workload is not overwhelming, as he’s had his own injury troubles throughout his young career. It’s not often a team’s top three goalies are three goalies who have had trouble staying healthy, but that’s neither here nor there.

You can’t imagine how good it’s going to feel for Murray to get back out into an NHL crease. He’s proven to the organization he’s healthy, and at 30 years old, still has the game, and the desire to put in the work. Kudos to Murray for getting back into the league, and while there’s certainly a chance another team claims him once the Leafs have to send him down when Stolarz returns, for now, let’s just enjoy the comeback story, and give Murray his flowers for all his hard work.