The hype around Team North America is dissipating and with it, some of the exciting players are heading back to training camp. One player is returning to training camp with an injury sustained at the tournament. Matt Murray has reportedly broken his hand and will be out 3-6 weeks depending on the recovery time. That will put his return roughly into mid-November. It also opens the door for Marc-Andre Fleury. How the heck are the Penguins supposed to handle this?
The opportunity for Fleury here is immense. The initial decision between the two goalies was difficult last season, but in reality no matter where they went, the team was going to succeed. Fleury posted a .921 sv% last year during the regular season and Murray posted a .930 sv%. Both are above the league average, only rubbing salt into the wound of the rest of the league.
The way that the team is currently set up, they will win regardless. The only positive outcome would be Fleury succeeding and becoming a more valuable trade chip for the rest of the league. Could he go to a contender like the Stars who desperately need an impact player in net? It would make too much sense for that to happen but with the impending expansion draft, don’t be surprised if they try to flip him for a very valuable asset.
Murray doesn’t have a lot to worry about considering how valuable of a player he is to the team, but the stories surrounding his position won’t be ending anytime soon.
