NHL Rumors: Matt Murray Trade Talk, Red Wings Free-Agent Targets and More

It was the year of the quarterback carousel in the NFL. Tom Brady leaving the New England Patriots to join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers headlined several high-profile QB changes around the league, and the NHL is set follow suit with its goalies during the upcoming offseason.

There are numerous netminders who are likely to change teams via either trade of free agency following the 2019-20 season. It could help reshape the league's balance of power given the position's importance, especially during the Stanley Cup Playoffs, when a red-hot goalie can carry a team on his back.

So let's check out some of the latest rumors and speculation involving goaltenders.

Matt Murray to the Toronto Maple Leafs?

Murray has retained the starter label for the Pittsburgh Penguins, but he's been outplayed by backup Tristan Jarry each of the past two years. If the team considers giving Jarry the full-time No. 1 job next season, it will bring the two-time Stanley Cup champion's future into question.

The 25-year-old Canadian netminder posted a lackluster 2.87 goals against average and .899 save percentage across 38 appearances this season. He's slated to become a restricted free agent and could still attract interest based on his prior success in Pittsburgh.

Jonas Siegel of The Athletic reported the Toronto Maple Leafs could view a buy-low opportunity on Murray via trade—"an offer sheet wouldn't make much sense," he wrote—as a better alternative than making a significant offer to Robin Lehner, who's shined for the Chicago Blackhawks and Vegas Golden Knights this season.

Toronto has Frederik Andersen under contract for another year, but he's coming off a down year of his own. His save percentage, which was at least .917 in his first three years with the club, dropped to a career-worst .909 in 52 appearances this season.

The Leafs should be in the middle of their championship window thanks to a terrific offensive core of Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, John Tavares and William Nylander. So there's pressure on the front office to ensure goaltending doesn't hold them back.

Taking a chance on a goalie such as Murray, who possesses a track record of playoff success with a career .921 postseason save percentage, while his value is probably at the lowest point of his NHL tenure could pay off for Toronto in the long run.

Detroit Red Wings Seek Goaltending Upgrade

The Wings were on pace for a historically poor season when the 2019-20 campaign was halted. They'd accumulated just 39 points through 71 games, which left them a mind-boggling 23 points behind the NHL's second-worst team (Ottawa Senators at 62 points).

Although the roster needs across-the-board upgrades, goalie should be near the top of the list after the quartet of Jonathan Bernier, Jimmy Howard, Calvin Pickard and Eric Comrie combined for an .886 save percentage. No other team's goalies were worse than .895 (San Jose Sharks).

Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press reported Lehner and the Washington Capitals' Braden Holtby are likely "out of the Wings' range" in free agency. She listed Cam Talbot, Jaroslav Halak, Anton Khudobin, Thomas Greiss and Jacob Markstrom as "more realistic options."

Khudobin is one of the NHL's most underrated goalies. While he's never been a full-time starter, he owns a .919 career save percentage through 11 seasons. He finished with a .926 save percentage in 36 games (34 starts) for the Carolina Hurricanes in 2013-14 and has a matching .926 mark with the Dallas Stars over the past two years across 71 appearances (63 starts).

He's 33, but he doesn't have the extensive workload of most veteran netminders, who also don't typically age in the same manner as forwards and defensemen anyway.

Khudobin's reputation as a career backup may allow Detroit to land him on a team-friendly contract amid its rebuild, and his performance should easily exceed that type of deal.

Free-Agent Market Complicated By Salary Cap Uncertainty

As the NHL attempts to figure out a path to finish the 2019-20 season, teams' offseason planning is also on hold while awaiting further details about how the delay impacted the financial outlook.

Harman Dayal of The Athletic reported sources are "guessing that most free agents will face downward pressure across the board if the salary cap stays flat, but we don't know about factors such as a potential compliance buyout, the status of conditional picks and so much more."

"It's shaping up to be a buyer's market for goalies," a source told Dayal.

This year's large group of free-agent goaltenders combined with potential trade candidates such as Murray could make this the offseason to strike for teams looking to upgrade at the key position.

The Florida Panthers represent a cautionary tale about the potential of overpaying goalies after giving Sergei Bobrovsky a seven-year, $70 million contract and then watching him post a borderline terrible 3.23 goals against average and .900 save percentage in 50 appearances.

So trying to upgrade at the position while the prices may be reduced could be smart business.