Matt Murray Faces Six-Week Absence with Lower-Body Injury, Future with Kraken Uncertain

Matt Murray (lower body) is expected to be sidelined for approximately six weeks, as announced by the team on Tuesday. The 29-year-old goaltender, who last played in the NHL in 2022-23 and missed most of last season due to bilateral hip surgery, was placed on LTIR in July 2023 and was projected to miss at least 10 games and 24 days to start 2023-24, with speculation he could miss the entire season. Murray's extensive injury history is a significant concern for the Seattle Kraken, who need reliability and cap relief. A two-time Stanley Cup winner with Pittsburgh, his career has been marked by inconsistency since being acquired by Ottawa from Pittsburgh and signing a four-year, $25 million deal, where he posted a 10-13-1 record with a 3.38 GAA and .893 SV%. While he showed flashes of brilliance, including a 25-9-5 record with a 2.34 GAA and .930 SV% in 39 appearances in a past season, his health remains the biggest question mark for the positionally-sound netminder.