Ahead of Monday’s roster deadline, the Toronto Maple Leafs placed goaltender Matt Murray and defenceman Marshall Rifai on waivers.
Murray underwent bilateral hip surgery in September 2023 and is continuing to get back into form. He took reps during training camp, but the Maple Leafs will be using Joseph Woll and Anthony Stolarz as their goaltending tandem this season, while Dennis Hildeby is a potential call-up option from the AHL’s Toronto Marlies.
The 30-year-old signed a one-year extension worth $875,000 with the Maple Leafs on July 2. Murray did not play during the 2023-24 season but there was an expectation that he could contribute to the team’s goaltending rotation upon return from injury
Rifai submitted an excellent training camp and was considered one of the biggest risers in the organization throughout September. Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews spoke glowingly about Rifai’s growth after practice on September 20.
“He had some games up with us last year and he worked so hard,” Matthews said of Rifai. “You can just see he wants it and continues to progress, and I’ve been pretty impressed with him and the way he plays hard on both sides of the puck.”
Rifai’s physicality and willingness to stick up for his teammates were considered key assets throughout camp and he won a fight against Canadiens forward Juraj Slafkovsky during one of the most chaotic games of the preseason, a 2-1 Maple Leafs victory on September 28. He signed a two-year contract extension worth $1.5 million with the Maple Leafs on September 5.
There was some belief that Rifai may have forged his way onto Toronto’s roster as the No. 6 or No. 7 defenceman as a left-shot defender displaying the attributes sought after by head coach Craig Berube and general manager Brad Treliving.
As a result of these waivers, it can be assumed that defenceman Conor Timmins is safely on the opening night roster, although Toronto has until Monday to finalize details.