Could Matt Murray complete the tandem the Montreal Canadiens need?
By Omar L
Murray may want to be in a situation where he can be the number one guy as different circumstances have gotten in the way of that. However, he does need a confidence and stock boost and jumping into a situation to be the number one right off the bat may not be the most ideal.
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They’re obviously not the height of proper hockey decisions, but the Buffalo Sabres are in an overhaul and have gone to many lengths of throwing goaltenders into that number one role without any results. At the same time, they may not be willing to part with the assets needed to make the trade.
Even if it’s only a year, it could be wise for Murray to platoon for a year and improve his numbers to give NHL executives more to work off of. Look at how the tag-team routine has warmed the perception of Jaroslav Halak.
He’s been equally as important to the success of the Boston Bruins splitting starts with Tuukka Rask. In his first season in Boston, Halak had 22 wins in 37 starts with a .922 save percentage while he earned the Bruins 18 wins in 29 starts with a .919 save percentage.
The 35-year-old being able to handle that load in the regular season ensured Rask was as fresh as possible for the playoffs. If Rask had to play 60+ games, it would be difficult to imagine an equally dominant performance that got the Bruins to the Stanley Cup Final.