TORONTO — The Maple Leafs made a series of moves on the eve of the NHL regular season, announcing netminder Matt Murray had undergone hip surgery as well as a series of changes to their staff.
Murray will miss the next six to eight months after undergoing bilateral hip surgery.
General manager Brad Treliving said at the start of the Leafs training camp that Murray was slated for "significant surgery" but wouldn't discuss the injury or procedure at the time.
Murray, 29, went 14-8-2 with .903 save percentage and a 3.01 goals-against average in 26 games in 2022-23 following last summer's trade with the Ottawa Senators.
The Leafs also announced that Curtis McElhinney has been hired as the director of Goaltending Development and Scouting, Jake Muzzin has been named a pro scout and Chris Bourque will assume a new role as a College Free Agent Scout.
Muzzin had one year left on his contract with the Leafs but Treliving said ahead of training camp that the defenceman would miss the upcoming season.
McElhinney, 40, retired in 2021 after a 16-year NHL career with the Tampa Bay Lightning, Carolina Hurricanes, the Maple Leafs, Columbus Blue Jackets, Phoenix Coyotes, Ottawa Senators, Anaheim Ducks and Calgary Flames.
Bourque joined the Maple Leafs’ scouting staff in the 2022-23 season after a 17-year playing career.
The oft-injured Murray put in some decent showings with the Leafs, but was unable to stay out of the trainers' room because of groin and ankle problems before suffering a concussion in April.
Murray has one season remaining on a four-year, US$25-million contract he signed with Ottawa in October 2020 after being acquired from Pittsburgh in a trade. He was set to count close to $4.69 million against the salary cap next season after the Senators retained 25 per cent of his wages in the trade with Toronto.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 9, 2023.
The Canadian Press