NHL trade rumors: 3 teams who should trade for Matt Murray
3. Ottawa Senators
The Ottawa Senators have a complicated goaltending situation right now. Craig Anderson will be an unrestricted free agent and it seems they’ll be parting ways with him. Anderson could very well retire, as he’s 39 years old. Marcus Högberg clearly isn’t a starting goaltender in the NHL. Anders Nilsson is a capable backup, but that’s about it. So the Senators are likely going to look to add a veteran this offseason. Murray could be a perfect fit.
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Now, by himself, Murray might cost a bit to get. But here’s how the Senators could potentially get him for a bargain price. The Penguins would likely love to get rid of Jack Johnson. He has three years left on his deal and has a cap hit of $3.25 million. However, he’s only due $8.25 million for the next three seasons.
The Senators could weaponize their cap space by taking on Johnson’s contract and taking on Murray as well. They wouldn’t have to give up much and might actually get an extra draft pick just for taking on Johnson’s contract.
Johnson would probably be sent to the AHL, where the Senators could bury a healthy portion of his cap hit. But it’s not like Ottawa has to worry about the cap ceiling or anything.
At the very least, Murray could be a solid placeholder for the Senators while they try to find their goalie of the future. Maybe he bounces back and holds down the net for the foreseeable future.