NHL trade rumors: 3 teams who should trade for Matt Murray

According to the latest NHL trade rumors, the Pittsburgh Penguins are likely going to trade Matt Murray. Which teams should be interested in him?

The Pittsburgh Penguins are almost indefinitely going to trade a goalie this offseason. Both Matt Murray and Tristan Jarry are going to be restricted free agents and are likely going to get raises. It makes very little sense to keep both. According to the latest NHL trade rumors, the Penguins have already begun discussing trades involving both goalies, but it’ll most likely be Murray who gets traded.

This report comes from Josh Yohe of The Athletic (subscription required).

The consensus is that Murray, who has struggled in two of the past three seasons and who figures to command more money than Jarry because of his postseason history, is the more likely of the two to go.

After losing to the Montreal Canadiens in the play-in round, the Penguins are likely going to make some huge changes. But considering the pandemic has done a number on their finances and they already don’t have that much cap space, trading Murray makes a ton of sense.

The goalie market this offseason is fascinating. There are free agent goalies like Robin Lehner, Cam Talbot, Braden Holtby, and Anton Khudobin. On top of that, there are several trade candidates, with Murray among the best of them.

Murray’s track record is undeniably impressive. He’s won two Stanley Cups. However, the Penguins netminder has seen his numbers decline over the past three seasons. He’s no longer their best goalie. Jarry’s taken over that role. Murray’s departure seems inevitable, especially after the Penguins went with Tristan Jarry as their starting goalie in Game 4 against the Canadiens.

With the Seattle Kraken having their expansion draft next summer, even if the Penguins manage to keep both Murray and Jarry, it’s likely the Kraken will just take whichever goalie the Penguins leave unprotected. Which means they’ll lose a goalie for absolutely nothing. That’s simply not a good way to run a business. It’s awful asset management.

Assuming the Penguins want to get at least something for a goalie they’re going to lose anyway, here are three 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.

2. Chicago Blackhawks

Much like the Senators, the Chicago Blackhawks have a very uncertain situation in goal. Corey Crawford will be a free agent and it’s not known if he’ll return, if he’ll leave, or even if he’ll decide to retire. After all, Crawford’s body has taken a lot of abuse over the years. He’s a pretty old 35 years old as far as goalies go.

Should the Blackhawks decide not to bring back Crawford, they’ll have to find a starting goalie this offseason. Robin Lehner is an option, though he didn’t depart Chicago on the best of terms at the trade deadline. Braden Holtby could be an option. So could Cam Talbot. But Murray might make the most sense for Chicago.

First of all, he has playoff experience. That’s important for the Blackhawks, who are further along in their rebuild then people initially thought. Secondly, Murray likely won’t be too pricey. Remember, he’s coming off three straight down years. Murray likely won’t command anything more than $4.25 million a year.

Thirdly, the Blackhawks don’t have a strong pool of goalie prospects. Malcolm Subban has been a mess. Collin Delia is alright. But after that, they don’t really have anyone. Murray would be a nice stopgap as the Blackhawks try to figure out what they’re going to do.