Hockey

Anton Forsberg vs. Matt Murray: Who Has The Net?

May 28, 2022
Jack Richardson

After being claimed on waivers and bouncing around the NHL for years, Anton Forsberg has quietly taken over the Ottawa Senators’ No. 1 starter job from Matt Murray, the star goalie who never really got the chance to justify his multi-million dollar salary.

   Just under two years ago on the second day of the 2020 NHL Draft, the Ottawa Senators made a move that turned heads around the National Hockey League by acquiring goaltender Matt Murray from the Pittsburgh Penguins. General Manager Pierre Dorion stated at the time: “Without a doubt, Matt Murray will be our No. 1 goalie this year.” But as we sit here amidst the 2022 NHL Playoffs, the Senators seem to have found a new starting goaltender: Anton Forsberg. 

   Combining a mix of numbers, fan reception and team morale, we’ll attempt to assess whether or not Forsberg should be the starting goaltender for the Ottawa Senators in the fall of 2022. 

The Numbers

   Forsberg spent the first two months of the pandemic-shortened 2021 season bouncing around teams. After being claimed by the Senators on March 21st, he finally had a home for the remainder of the year and was signed to a 1-year-extension for the following season. The plan was for him to be Murray’s backup for the 2021-22 season.

   But as the Senators became ravaged by injuries and COVID-19, Murray was one of the worst casualties, being available to start only 20 out of a possible 82 games. Forsberg was able to fill the void expertly and by doing so, he may very well have stolen Murray’s starting job for the 2022-23 season.

   Murray’s season overall left much to be desired. He finished with a record of 5-12-2 with a .906 save percentage. He certainly had an impressive run to begin the calendar year in 2022, but his inability to stay healthy is costing him.

   Admittedly, Forsberg also had his share of struggles early on. The Senators went 4-15-1 in their first 20 games this year and Forsberg had a record of 1-4, a .883 save percentage and a 4.44 goals-against average. He was certainly part of the reason the team struggled so much early on.  However, since December 1st Forsberg ranked 4th overall in the NHL with a .921 save percentage (minimum of 35 starts). These numbers from Forsberg are MVP-caliber and a huge reason why the Senators found their way out of the bottom 6 in the NHL standings following a horrible start.

   Say what you will about lottery standings, but the young core of the Senators will benefit more from the experience of winning games than by earning a high draft pick at this point of the rebuild, and that experience is owed to Forsberg. 

Positive vs Negative Reception

   If I were to tell you that Anton Forsberg is nearly two years older than 2-time Stanley Cup Champion Matt Murray, would you believe me? At the beginning of the season, it certainly seemed like Forsberg is the young gun who has to fight for the approval of his team and earn his stripes. But it feels like the narrative has shifted now because Forsberg has gotten results. The way Head Coach DJ Smith talks about Forsberg speaks volumes to the way the rest of the team feels about him when he’s between the pipes:

   During the worst of Murray’s struggles, he was sent down to the minors after a poor performance in San Jose. Smith’s comments following the game singled out Murray’s performance. 

   As mentioned above, Murray had an elite stretch once the year 2022 hit even if it was a small sample size. So the ability is there, but he hasn’t shown enough consistency to warrant that No. 1 starting position on a playoff-calibre team. 

Crowded Crease on Payroll

   If the 2022 playoffs are any indication, most teams in the NHL have a bonafide starter. The Senators certainly have a plethora of options, and as of next season, it will officially be a crowded crease at the NHL level. Murray, Forsberg, and 23-year-old Filip Gustavsson are all signed to 1-way contracts next season, meaning neither can be sent to the AHL without going through waivers where any team in the NHL can have them for free. The Senators would rather not lose a valuable asset like Gustavsson for nothing, so it seems likely that they enter next season with 3 goalies on the NHL roster. 

   It certainly isn’t ideal for any of the 3 goalies, but internal competition could become a positive for the Senators. Let’s not forget that Matt Murray won 2 Stanley Cups when he was fighting for the starting position in Pittsburgh and played the best hockey of his career under those circumstances. 

   The heat will only be turned up for Murray, who has two years left on his deal with a cap hit of $6.5 million. That’s now being compared to the valuable extension Forsberg signed in the middle of this season, paying him an average of $2.75 million per season. As of right now, the organization has to value Forsberg more than Murray. Even though Forsberg is cheaper, he has proven himself to be better than Murray so far.

The Verdict

   A considerable reason Murray has struggled is due to his injuries. And while that isn’t something he can control, Forsberg’s durability and consistency have far outshined the two-time Stanley Cup champion.

   I would have Forsberg as the starter heading into training camp and then go from there. Heading into a season where expectations will be sky-high for the Ottawa Senators, Anton Forsberg is the goalie that gives them the best chance to succeed. If you don’t think I’m on the right track, listen to the way Forsberg’s teammates talk about the season he just had:

-Jack Richardson

Twitter: @jackrichrdson

Photo: Michael Miller. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.