Central Notes: Hartman, Foligno, Landeskog, Murray
Wild forward Ryan Hartman was fined over $4.4K, the maximum allowable under the Collective Bargaining Agreement, for high-sticking Jets forward Cole Perfetti during Sunday’s 3-2 loss, the NHL Department of Player Safety announced today. This is the seventh fine of Hartman’s career, as The Athletic’s Michael Russo notes, and his second disciplinary punishment of the season after being assessed a two-game suspension for tripping Red Wings winger Alex DeBrincat in November.
The incident in question was confirmed to be deliberate, inexplicably coming out of Hartman’s mouth during gameplay. Perfetti, who was wearing a microphone for Sunday’s game, told reporters today that Hartman told Perfetti that the high stick was retribution for the Brenden Dillon cross-check that injured Wild star Kirill Kaprizov the day before (via the Winnipeg Free Press’ Mike McIntyre). Perfetti, who turned 22 yesterday, was not involved in the Dillon/Kaprizov altercation.
For the Wild, the lack of a suspension for Hartman is great news. Already dealing with injuries to two-thirds of their first line in Kaprizov and Mats Zuccarello, middle-six bruiser Marcus Foligno is now a game-time decision for tonight’s clash against the Flames with a lingering undisclosed injury, per NHL.com’s Jessi Pierce. The 32-year-old Foligno, who has four points in his last five games, skated in a third-line role alongside Frédérick Gaudreau and Pat Maroon in Sunday’s loss.
His absence would force the Wild to dress 11 forwards and seven defensemen, as veteran d-man Jonathon Merrill is the only healthy extra skater on Minnesota’s roster. The Wild are eligible to use an emergency recall in Foligno’s absence, but without ruling him out for tonight’s contest, they wouldn’t be able to do so until after the game.
Elsewhere in the Central Division today:
- Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog returned to Denver from Sweden to continue his recovery from a right-knee cartilage transplant earlier this season, leading to increased hope that he could return for a potential 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs berth and suit up for the first time since Colorado captured the championship in 2022. The Denver Post’s Corey Masisak revealed last weekend that Landeskog’s family has now moved back to Colorado, furthering confidence that the long-time first-line fixture will resume his career at some point. The 31-year-old has now undergone multiple knee surgeries over the past three years and has not eclipsed the 70-game mark in a season since the 2018-19 campaign, five years ago.
- After being sent down for salary cap management purposes yesterday, Stars netminder Matt Murray was recalled from AHL Texas today, per team radio analyst Bruce LeVine. The 25-year-old is once again in the NHL on an emergency basis while starter Jake Oettinger is sidelined week-to-week with a lower-body injury. He has not made an appearance since Oettinger exited the lineup over two weeks ago, however, leading to seven straight starts for veteran backup Scott Wedgewood. The 31-year-old Ontarian has been up to the task, posting a 6-1-1 record and .906 SV% since Oettinger left a December 15 game against the Senators less than halfway through the first period. The Stars have not had back-to-back games since Oettinger was injured. Murray, who does not require waivers and has a .908 SV% through 13 games with AHL Texas this season, will continue to back up Wedgewood for the foreseeable future.
Dallas Stars Recall Matt Murray
The Dallas Stars have used an emergency recall to bring goaltender Matt Murray up to the NHL roster. This move comes after the team was forced to ice St. Louis’ emergency backup goalie, Joey O’Brien, as their backup when they faced the Blues on Saturday. Playing with O’Brien as backup on Saturday made the Stars eligible for an emergency recall.
Murray – who shares a name with a goaltender currently on the Toronto Maple Leafs’ long-term injured reserve – has appeared in 13 games this season with Dallas’ AHL affiliate, the Texas Stars. He’s managed an 8-4-1 record in those matchups, adding a .908 save percentage. The AHL’s Stars have been platooning Murray with 22-year-old Remi Poirier, who has a 6-3-2 record and .901 save percentage in 11 appearances of his own.
But, unlike Poirier, Murray has made his NHL debut, playing in three games for Dallas last season. He went 1-2-0 in the trio of games, saving 54 of a possible 64 shots for a .844 save percentage. Murray, now 25, signed with Dallas as an undrafted free agent after the end of the University of Massachusetts-Amherst’s 2021-22 campaign. The netminder had previously spent five seasons with the school, appearing in a total 121 games and setting a .916 save percentage. Murray has matched that save percentage through his first 53 career AHL games, after making his professional debut at the end of the 2021-22 season.
Murray will join Scott Wedgewood as Dallas’ goalie pair for the foreseeable future, with typical starter Jake Oettinger out with a lower-body injury and without a timeline to return. Oettinger abruptly left in the first period of team’s December 15th game and hasn’t played since.
Dallas Stars Re-Sign Matt Murray
The Dallas Stars have secured goaltender Matt Murray on a one-year, two-way contract for the 2023-24 campaign, the team announced today. Financial terms were not disclosed.
Not to be confused with the Stanley Cup-winning netminder of the same name, the younger 25-year-old Murray made three appearances for the Dallas Stars in 2022-23. During his call-ups, Murray posted a record of 1-2-0 with a 3.39 goals-against average and a .844 save percentage.
Murray’s NHL debut came this season as well, successfully stopping 19 out of 21 shots in a March 2 win against the Chicago Blackhawks. His debut win on the road made him the first rookie goaltender for the Stars to achieve such a feat since Mike Smith in the 2006-06 campaign.
An undrafted free agent signing last summer out of the University of Massachusetts, Murray recorded an 18-10-5 record and three shutouts in 34 games for the AHL’s Texas Stars this year in his first full professional campaign. His 2.37 goals-against average ranked first among AHL rookie netminders, and he ranked second with a .911 save percentage and shared fourth place with 18 victories. During the Calder Cup Playoffs, the Alberta-born goalie tallied a 5-3-0 record in eight appearances, with a solid 2.79 GAA and .909 SV%.
With Scott Wedgewood still under contract to backup starter Jake Oettinger, Murray is likely again destined for a starting role in Texas for the 2023-24 campaign. While Wedgewood is a capable backup, he’s entering his 30s and could end up going elsewhere on the free agent market in 2024. Murray could very well take over the backup role in Dallas at that time.
Murray joins 21-year-old Remi Poirier as goalies under NHL contract with Dallas destined for the minors next season.
Snapshots: Marleau, Roy, Olofsson, Murray
Patrick Marleau spent the majority of his playing career with the San Jose Sharks, and it sounds like he would be open to returning to the organisation in retirement. The legendary Sharks forward is the all-time leader in goals, points and games played for the club. He spent 21 seasons playing for the Sharks, helping them to a Stanley Cup Final in 2016.
Marleau retired following the 2020-21 season and will have his number retired by the team on Saturday night. The city of San Jose was honoring him ahead of his number being retired on Saturday night, and announced Feb. 25 will be Patrick Marleau Day in San Jose. When addressing the crowd, Marleau was asked if he would return to the organisation and said it was something he would definitely be interested in doing. He then joked he would have to find something he is good at first.
- Nicolas Roy is out of the Vegas Golden Knights lineup with an injury. The center has been listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury as per an update on the team’s Twitter page. The 26-year-old center has 11 goals and 25 points in 54 games this season. The Golden Knights are already a little depleted up front with Mark Stone and Nolan Patrick out long term. It doesn’t sound like Roy’s injury will keep him out for an extended period, but it further weakens the roster as they get set to host the Calgary Flames tonight.
- The Dallas Stars have sent down a couple of depth players. Fredrik Olofsson and Matt Murray have been loaned to the Texas Stars. Both players were called up on an emergency basis yesterday to face the Chicago Blackhawks. Olofsson had three shots on goal and Murray served as Jake Oettinger‘s backup in a 4-3 loss.
Dallas Stars Re-Assign Matej Blumel; Expected To Recall Matt Murray
Nov 18: The Stars have sent Blumel back down, this time after playing four games and scoring his first NHL goal. With Scott Wedgewood‘s injury last night, Murray is expected to be recalled.
Nov 9: Dallas Stars general manager Jim Nill announced today that the team has recalled forward Matej Blumel from the AHL’s Texas Stars. In a corresponding transaction, the team also loaned goalie Matt Murray to Texas.
Murray returning to Texas indicates that star netminder Jake Oettinger will be ready to return to the lineup soon. Oettinger has been out with a lower-body injury since leaving an October 29 game against the New York Rangers. His .952 save percentage and 1.40 goals-against average remain first in the NHL.
The “other” Matt Murray didn’t receive any game action during his week-and-a-half call-up, but he returns to Texas where he excelled with a 2-2-0 record and a .926 save percentage to start the year.
Blumel could be in line to make his NHL debut soon after lighting it up with 11 points in his first nine AHL games. The 6′ 0″, 198 lb forward spent the past three years with HC Dynamo Pardubice in the Czech Extraliga after the Edmonton Oilers selected him 100th overall in 2019. They failed to sign him to an entry-level contract, though, paving the way for the Stars to sign him last summer. He was called up to Dallas for three days in late October without making an appearance.