Pittsburgh Penguins and Edmonton Oilers in trade talks about Matt Murray

The Pittsburgh Penguins are still exploring trade options for Matt Murray, and the Edmonton Oilers have potentially entered the mix.

The Pittsburgh Penguins are still working on solving their goalie controversy after their elimination at the hands of the Montreal Canadiens in the qualifying round, and it seems that two time Stanley Cup champion Matt Murray could be the one on his way out of Pittsburgh according to the trade rumors.

According to Pierre Lebrun, the Penguins have had discussions with the Edmonton Oilers about a potential trade, but the asking price from the Penguins is apparently too high for them.

The Penguins are seeking a first-round pick in a trade involving Matt Murray

The price that the Penguins are asking for Murray is seemingly a first round pick. The Oilers own the 14th overall pick in this year’s draft, while the Penguins just traded the 15th overall pick to Toronto in exchange for Kasperi Kapanen.

Penguins GM Jim Rutherford admitted soon after the Penguins were eliminated that they would have to trade one of Murray or Tristan Jarry in the offseason, as both are RFA’s in need of a raise, which does not bode well for the Penguins salary cap issues. The 2021 Seattle expansion draft also makes it nearly impossible for them to keep both beyond this season even if they did bring both back.

The 26-year-old Murray helped lead the Penguins to back-to-back championships in 2016 and 2017, but had a rough regular season with a .899 save percentage in 38 games. The 25-year-old Jarry has a .921 save percentage and made the all-star game, but fell off as the regular season wound down. Murray started three of four games against the Canadiens, winning only one of them.

The Oilers, on the other hand, are going to be patient in their goalie search according to Lebrun. They have Mikko Koskinen locked up until 2022, who’s just fine as a tandem starter, but they need an upgrade on Mike Smith as a second goalie. Goaltending was one of the biggest reasons the Oilers were beaten by the Blackhawks in the qualifying round, and with Koskinen going nowhere they need an upgrade behind him.

It makes sense that the Oilers would not want to give up their first round pick for Murray, especially since that’s their only pick in the first five rounds. Murray would also need a raise on his last $3.75M contract, and the Oilers don’t have that cap space to pay him. With a strong free agent goalie market, there are logistically better options for the Oilers than trading for Murray.

It’s unlikely that other teams with picks in the 10-20 area would give up their pick either. Given Murray’s recent struggles, a first round pick no matter where it falls seems like too much. Murray has been just average since winning the two Stanley Cups and has been a downward trend. Trading anything for him is a risky move.

If there is a fit for Murray that has to include a first round pick, the Ottawa Senators look like a solid option. The Senators have seven picks in the first two rounds and a need for a starting goalie for years to come. Murray can help give them stability in net, and the Senators have more than assets to for a fair trade.