The Nashville Predators have recalled goaltender Matt Murray from their AHL affiliate, the Milwaukee Admirals, ahead of their Thursday home opener against the Dallas Stars. This move, as noted in a team release, could indicate a potential undisclosed injury to either Juuse Saros or Scott Wedgewood, with Saros possibly dealing with an issue after taking a maintenance day earlier in the week, as suggested by Alex Daugherty of the Tennessean. With two open roster spots and sufficient cap space, the Predators didn’t need to make a corresponding roster transaction to bring Murray up.
Murray, 26, joined Nashville this offseason on a two-way contract, positioning him as the team’s third or fourth option at goaltender. Prior to signing with the Predators, Murray had spent his entire professional career with the Dallas Stars organization, having signed as an undrafted free agent out of UMass in 2022. Over the last two seasons, he made four NHL starts for Dallas, earning a 2-2-0 record, which included one shutout, a 2.53 goals-against average (GAA), and an .885 save percentage (SV%).
Though sharing a name with the two-time Stanley Cup-winning goalie Matt Murray, this Matt Murray made a mark in the AHL with the Texas Stars until last season when his performance took a dip. After posting a solid .911 SV% in the previous season, Murray’s numbers fell to a .896 SV% and a 3.02 GAA in 31 games last year. As a result, he lost the starting position to 23-year-old Rémi Poirier and was not given a qualifying offer by Dallas, which allowed him to join Nashville as a free agent.
In Milwaukee, Murray will be competing for playing time with 24-year-old Magnus Chrona, who was acquired from the San Jose Sharks in the Yaroslav Askarov trade this offseason. Murray passed through waivers unclaimed on September 30, and per NHL rules, he can stay on the Predators’ roster for up to 30 days or play in 10 games before requiring waivers again to return to the AHL.
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