The Leafs return to the ice on Friday in Detroit against the Red Wings, following the National Hockey League’s three-day Christmas break. With a home game on Saturday night against the Washington Capitals, the likelihood is that both Joseph Woll and Murray each will get a start.
The back-and-forth process with Murray and the minors is being done for reasons involving roster management. Murray normally needs waivers, but after he was placed on waivers earlier this season and cleared, he can remain on the roster for either 10 games or 30 days before requiring waivers. In sending Murray down when they don’t plan to use him, the Leafs are giving themselves more time to have him in the long run before waivers become part of the process again.
If Murray starts in Detroit, the Leafs could return him to the Marlies on Saturday and recall Hildeby to back up Woll versus the Capitals.
The NHL’s holiday roster freeze, which ends on Dec. 28 at 12:01 a.m., does not apply to recalling and sending players to and from minor-league teams.
Hildeby is fully exempt from waivers.
All of this is happening with Murray and Hildeby because of the knee injury suffered by Anthony Stolarz.
The goaltender had a procedure done on Dec. 18 in New York to remove a pebble-sized loose body from the back of his knee, and at the time, Leafs general manager Brad Treliving said that prognosis had Stolarz out of the lineup for the next four to six weeks.
After undergoing bilateral hip surgery in September 2023, Murray made his first NHL appearance last Friday in Buffalo when he got the start against the Sabres. He made 24 saves in the Leafs’ 6-3 win and was returned to the Marlies the following day.
Hildeby is 2-1 in three starts with the Leafs, posting an .875 save percentage and a 3.68 goals-against average.
It’s on Woll, too, to shape up a bit in the coming days. In three of his four past starts, Woll has had a save percentage of .880 or less, numbers that can’t continue if the Leafs want to win. Not coincidentally, the Leafs lost those three games.
