Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Matt Murray left the team's morning skate with discomfort in his groin. His status for Saturday's game against the Ottawa Senators is yet to be determined.
"We just decided it made sense to remove him from the skate, get him assessed. ... and make some determinations on his status for tonight based on that. It's still too early at this point to give you any 'what if' type scenarios," Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe said after the morning skate.
"We've got Ilya (Samsonov) preparing to start at this point, but like I said we're going to get Matt assessed. The plan was for Matt to start and if he's able to do so and he's cleared to do so, he will."
If he starts, It would be Murray's first start against his former team since being traded to Toronto during the off-season.
"Matt unfortunately here, was just injured all the time. Take nothing away from him, he just was hurt all the time, he had a lot of bad luck,” Sens coach D.J. Smith told reporters Friday of Murray's time in Ottawa.
If Murray can't start, Ilya Samsonov will get the nod after picking up the victory in the Leafs' home opener against the Washington Capitals. Murray allowed four goals on 23 shots in Toronto's 4-3 loss to the Montreal Canadiens on opening night.
Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman outlined three possible scenarios the Maple Leafs are facing with Murray as he undergoes examination Saturday afternoon:
A. The injury doesn't keep him out and he plays.
B. Murray goes on long-term injured reserve, and Erik Kallgren fills in as Samsonov's backup. Kallgren was injured in the Toronto Marlies' AHL opener Friday, but has since been cleared to play.
C. Murray's injury keeps him out a few days, but doesn't require him to be placed on LTIR. In that scenario the Maple Leafs would sign Jett Alexander, who was an emergency backup for the Colorado Avalanche against Toronto last season, to a professional tryout. Friedman adds Kallgren would then join the Maple Leafs as soon as Sunday on an emergency basis.
