Toronto Maple Leafs assign Matt Murray to AHL for conditioning

The Toronto Maple Leafs announced on Saturday that they have assigned goaltender Matt Murray to the American Hockey League's Toronto Marlies on a conditioning assignment.

Murray has not played since leaving a game against the Detroit Red Wings at 16:16 of the first period on April 2, 2023. The 29-year-old goalkeeper underwent bilateral hip surgery in October and was placed on long-term injured reserve to start the season.

The two-time Stanley Cup champion has dealt with injuries throughout his career and missed time last season.

“I wake up every day and try to plan what I want to do,” Murray told The Athletic Friday. “You keep the ups and downs. You will have trouble. Especially injuries are part of the game. Sometimes it can be hard to get away from it.”

After being given a 6-8 month recovery window, Murray resumed skating in the spring and participated in his first full practice on March 26.

“He was with the guys a little bit,” Toronto coach Sheldon Keefe said after the morning skate on March 26. “But today was probably the biggest step he's taken in terms of having our guys out there and being involved. some of our skill exercises.

“Yeah, a great sign it's going well. It's a long way from being an option for games or anything like that. But the work he's done and his recovery seems to have served him well.”

The move means Toronto believes Murray could be a Stanley Cup playoff pick. The Ontario native is 29-21, has a .921 save percentage and 2.18 goals against in 50 career playoff games and won bowls with Pittsburgh in 2016 and 2017.

Murray's last playoff game came in 2020 with the bubble Penguins.

The Marlies will play the Syracuse Crunch (Tampa Bay Lightning) for the second night on Saturday.

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