Calgary Flames: Five Goaltenders Who Would Make Flames Contenders

4. Matt Murray

If the Flames want an available goaltender that could potentially be in town for a decade, Matt Murray fits that description. The Pittsburgh Penguins have said they are extremely likely to move one of their restricted free agent goaltenders and Tristan Jarry had the much better 2019-20 season so Murray could be on the way out.

The problem with acquiring Murray is you don’t really know which Matt Murray would step off the plane in Calgary. He has played five seasons with the Penguins, and this one was not his finest. He had 38 starts and while his record of 20-11-5 looks great, he had a heck of a team in front of him.

Murray’s GAA jumped to 2.87 and his save percentage dipped under .900 for the first time in his career. Those are not the numbers of a high quality number one goaltender in the NHL.

Nonetheless, Murray has a pretty impressive resume. He started just 13 games as a rookie in 2015-16, but had a 2.00 GAA and a .930 SV%. His 2.41 GAA and .923 SV% the following year left the impression he was a budding future Vezina Trophy winner. Especially since he was the man in the crease when the Penguins won back to back Stanley Cups in 2016 and 2017.

However, Murray hasn’t been able to reach those lofty heights in the past three seasons. His 2017-18 campaign was a bit disappointing. He bounced back the following year to have decent stats in 50 starts but this season wasn’t great.

If you are getting the Matt Murray that won two Cups and was excellent in his first two seasons, you found the backbone of a franchise. If you get the guy who struggled this season, it would be a busy season for David Rittich next year.

Also, the rumoured asking price of a 1st round pick is way too steep. If it drops and the Flames can get him for much less, then it might be worth the risk. But there are still a few better options.