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Matt Murray
When you mention Matt Murray’s name in a trade, many of the Pittsburgh Penguins faithful cringe. He looks poised to be the next starting goaltender in Pittsburgh and is coming off an unbelievable season in the AHL. But, that’s why now may be the time to move him.
I wrote an article shortly after the season concluded about the same topic. And, the idea was met with some pessimism back then too. However, the fact remains that in order to address franchise shortcomings, you have to work with areas of surplus. At this moment, goaltender is the only area that resembles a surplus in Pittsburgh.
We aren’t sure how Tristan Jarry will pan out in the NHL, or even in the AHL for that matter. But, if there’s a team looking for a goaltender that could be a fringe NHL contributor this season, Murray should be considered if the return will take the Pens to the next level. Can they get a solid NHL defenseman with some sort of Murray deal? If so, they should do it.
Fleury is signed through 2019. That gives the Pens plenty of time to assess where Jarry stands and prepare a backup plan if he won’t be the guy. I totally get the love affair with Murray after last season but this is a business that sometimes requires tough decisions. This is a tough decision that may be necessary for this team round out a roster that’s very close to being a Stanley Cup favorite.
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