The Toronto Maple Leafs' already precarious goaltending situation became even more uncertain Saturday.
Matt Murray left the team's morning skate with an apparent injury mere hours before the third game of the season.
Murray sought out goalie coach Curtis Sanford before leaving the ice pic.twitter.com/V6PJq1rtfF
— Mark Masters (@markhmasters) October 15, 2022
Some video on the situation pic.twitter.com/8sjpQ2H38r
— David Alter (@dalter) October 15, 2022
Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe later said Murray was experiencing groin discomfort and was still being assessed, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.
Keefe said Toronto's other netminder, Ilya Samsonov, was preparing to start against the Ottawa Senators but that Murray would start if given the green light, per the Toronto Sun's Terry Koshan.
Samsonov didn't stay out for extra work at the skate as the backup normally would, reports TSN's Mark Masters.
Erik Kallgren got hurt Friday night while playing for the AHL's Toronto Marlies, but he's since been cleared to return, according to Friedman. Fellow Marlies goalie Joseph Woll - who played four NHL games last season - has been unavailable due to an injury of his own.
Toronto currently has no cap space whatsoever, according to CapFriendly. The team also has a league-maximum 50 players already under contract, and the only other puck-stopper signed to an NHL deal - Dennis Hildeby - is playing in Sweden.
The Maple Leafs faced another unusual goaltending dilemma almost exactly one year ago; they signed University of Toronto goaltender Alex Bishop to an amateur tryout pact to serve as their backup on Oct. 16, 2021, after then-No. 2 netminder Petr Mrazek sustained a groin injury ahead of their third game of the season - also against the Senators.
