11:09 a.m.: Saros has officially been listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury, per Daugherty. He hasn’t been officially ruled out for tomorrow’s game, however.
10:47 a.m.: The Predators have recalled netminder Matt Murray from AHL Milwaukee, per a team release. It’s a sign there may be an undisclosed injury bothering either Juuse Saros or Scott Wedgewood before tomorrow’s home opener against the Stars – perhaps the former after taking a maintenance day yesterday, as pointed out by Alex Daugherty of the Tennessean. Either way, the Preds have two open roster spots and ample cap space, so no corresponding transaction is required.
Murray, 26, enters the season as Nashville’s No. 3/4 option between the pipes after he inked a two-way deal with the Preds over the offseason. He’d spent the entirety of his NHL career up to that point in the Stars organization, where he landed as an undrafted free agent out of UMass in 2022. The Alberta native made four NHL starts for Dallas over the past two seasons, posting a 2-2-0 record with one shutout, a 2.53 GAA, and an .885 SV%.
Not to be confused with two-time Stanley Cup champion Matt Murray, this Murray fared well in the AHL with the Texas Stars up until last year. His numbers fell off a cliff, limited to a .896 SV% and 3.02 GAA in 31 games after logging a .911 SV% in 34 appearances the year prior. He lost the starters’ crease to 23-year-old Rémi Poirier and, unsurprisingly, wasn’t tendered a qualifying offer by Dallas, allowing him to head to Nashville as a UFA.
Murray will battle for starts this season in Milwaukee alongside 24-year-old Magnus Chrona, who was acquired from the Sharks in this offseason’s Yaroslav Askarov trade. He passed through waivers unclaimed on Sep. 30 and can be on the NHL roster for up to 30 days (or play 10 games) until he needs them again to return to the minors.
I love how we have two goalies named Matt Murray and two Canucks players named Elias Pettersson. Sure makes sports writing easy. I bet. XD
@PyramidHeadcrab — Now, if we only had two sets of brothers, named Hatfield and McCoy playing in the same division. Forty games a year where the officials would get to say, “Everybody on the ice gets a game misconduct!” :)
Don’t forget two Sebastian Aho’s too!
@Gbear — As I like to say, “Ooof! Right in the Sebastian Aho!”
With the way Wedgewood played during the pre-season, Saros better not get hurt.
Hard to see them taking a chance and starting Saros if there is a chance he could aggravate an injury and make it a long term issue. Wedgewood did not have a good preseason and hopefully it’s just because it was Preseason. Kari Lehtonen was so good last year, would be hard to see a back up come in and not play well.