The Pittsburgh Penguins decided to make a major shift to their goaltending department in December 2025, trading Tristan Jarry (along with Sam Poulin) to the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for Stuart Skinner (and Brett Kulak).
The move had some positive aspects for the Penguins. At times, Skinner showed the kind of flashes that helped him and the Oilers reach the Stanley Cup Final in each of the two previous seasons. However, once again, he faltered at the most important time, and was eventually replaced by Arturs Silovs in their opening round series against the Philadelphia Flyers.
Skinner isn’t likely to return to the Penguins, and while they still have Silovs as well as prospect Sergei Murashov waiting in the wings, one NHL Insider is suggesting that they turn back to a former Stanley Cup winner.
NHL Insider Is Urging The Pittsburgh Penguins To Bring Back Goaltender Matt Murray
Writer Josh Cybulski of Pro Hockey Rumors believes that the Penguins would be prudent to sign former Pittsburgh goaltender Matt Murray, who was in net for each of their two most recent Stanley Cup victories of 2016 and 2017, to a contract.
“While those two have shown promise, neither is a sure thing, and the Penguins should be, and likely will be, on the hunt for a competent veteran who could step in if the team’s goaltending goes sideways. Enter former Penguins starting goaltender and two-time Stanley Cup champion Matt Murray, a netminder that Pittsburgh should seriously consider as their third-string option. Now, Murray is no longer an NHL starter, and it’s fair to wonder whether his body can even hold up as a regular backup. But it’s still clear that he can play when healthy, given his body of work over the last two seasons.”
Cybulski continued by discussing Murray’s recent tenure with the Seattle Kraken as well as his obvious injury history.
“This past year in Seattle, Murray dressed for five games with the Kraken, going 0-2-1 with a .922 SV% and a 2.21 GAA before suffering an injury that sidelined him for most of the season. And therein lies the issue with Murray. He’s been hurt a lot. The 32-year-old Murray has not played more than 30 games in a single season since the 2019-20 campaign, when he was still with the Penguins, and really can’t be expected to take regular starts given how his body has broken down.”
However, Cybulski believes Murray would be a perfect third option for the Penguins to consider.
“But Pittsburgh has what is perhaps the perfect role for him as their third stringer, and because Murray spent so much time on the injured reserve last year, he is eligible to sign an incentive-laden contract, which may be something he pursues.”
Matt Murray Left The Penguins After 2019-20
Murray, whom the Penguins selected with the 83rd overall pick in the 2012 NHL Draft, replaced Marc-Andre Fleury in the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2016 and 2017, and was in net for each of Pittsburgh’s Stanley Cup clinching victories in both seasons.
He’s since played for the Ottawa Senators, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Kraken. He has a career record of 147-89-25 with a 2.79 goals-against average and a .910 save percentage.
Penguins Urged To Bring Back Former Stanley Cup Hero