Is Matt Murray playing tonight against the Florida Panthers? NHL Playoffs - May 4, 2023

There is some uncertainty surrounding the potential return of Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Matt Murray for tonight's game against the Florida Panthers. Murray has been practicing with the team, but it appears he is not ready to return to the lineup.

According to David Alter of Sports Illustrated, Murray has been Toronto's third goaltender at practice. This indicates that he isn't 100% healthy. The Leafs will continue to rely on the goalie tandem of Ilya Samsonov and Joseph Woll. While it's certainly possible that Murray will be cleared to play in the near future, there is no timetable for his return.

Despite the uncertainty surrounding Murray's status, the Leafs are hoping to have him back in the lineup as soon as possible. Murray is a proven veteran goaltender who has had success in the playoffs in the past. His presence would certainly give Toronto a boost in their efforts to advance to the next round.

A look at Matt Murray's NHL career

Murray was selected by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the third round of the 2012 NHL Draft. He honed his craft in the minors before breaking out with the Penguins.

Murray had a breakout season with American Hockey League (AHL) team Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins during the 2014-15 campaign. He won the Bastien Memorial Award as the best goaltender in the league and set a rookie record with 12 shutouts.

Murray also set an AHL record for the longest shutout streak and won the Dudley (Red) Garrett Memorial Award as the league's rookie of the year.

Matt Murray's impressive AHL performance earned him a call-up to the NHL. He played his first NHL game on December 19, 2015, and got his first win two days later. He played a total of 13 regular-season games that season and then became the starting goaltender for the Penguins in the playoffs due to an injury to Marc-Andre Fleury.

At just 22 years old, Murray led the Penguins to the Stanley Cup in 2016 and earned consideration for the Conn Smythe Trophy with his outstanding playoff performance. Murray continued to be a crucial player for the Penguins during the 2016-17 season. He posted a 32-10-4 record with a 2.41 goals-against average and .923 save percentage in in 49 games.

However, Matt Murray suffered an injury in warmups before Game 1 of the 2017 playoffs, and Fleury stepped in to lead the Penguins to the Eastern Conference Final. Murray returned in Game 3 and helped the Penguins win their second straight Stanley Cup. Murray's shutouts in Games 5 and 6 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Nashville Predators helped the Penguins secure the championship.

After spending several seasons with the Penguins, Matt Murray signed a multi-year deal with the Ottawa Senators in 2020. He played with the Senators for two seasons before being traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2022.