Toronto Maple Leafs place two players on waivers including goaltender Matt Murray

As the season approaches its start, the Toronto Maple Leafs have placed defenseman Marshall Rifai and goaltender Matt Murray on waivers.

Insider Elliotte Friedman claims that Murray is still working toward a comeback despite missing months because he required bilateral hip surgery. Tthis move is intended to set up Murray's soft return in the American Hockey League before he rejoins the main club, since the goal is for Murray to stay.

Murray only played three games in the AHL last season after missing out on the NHL owing to an injury. Murray recently signed a one-year contract worth $875K with Toronto during the offseason, following a four-year deal worth $6.25M per year that he signed while playing for the Ottawa Senators.

Murray played in 26 games for Toronto in 2022-2023 and finished with a 14-8-2 record, 3.01 GAA, and.903SV%. Murray, an eight-year NHL veteran, was drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the third round of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft.

During the playoffs, Murray started for the Penguins in place of Marc-André Fleury, and he went on to win his first Stanley Cup championship. Murray became the first goalie to win back-to-back Stanley Cups in his first two NHL seasons when he split the net with Fleury during the 2017 Stanley Cup playoffs.

The Penguins sent Murray to the Ottawa Senators in exchange for Jonathan Gruden and a 2020 second-round selection.

Rifai, 26, spent the majority of the previous season in the AHL, where he played in 57 games and finished as a defensive defenseman with 2 goals, 17 assists, and 19 points. Rifai only appeared in two games for the Leafs.

Source: Hockey Patrol
Two Maple Leafs have been placed on waivers including Matt Murray