Murray has been ruled out for tonight’s game against Vegas, but the fact that he is already on the ice is good news. It is hard to pinpoint a timeline when dealing with a concussion, but it doesn’t look like Murray will be out long-term.
Dunn has been featured on the Blues top power-play to start the season, but is expected to sit tomorrow with Joel Edmundson set to make his season debut. With Dunn out, Alex Pietrangelo will take his spot on the top power-play unit.
Kempny skated with John Carlson during Tuesday’s practice and will play Wednesday vs. the Golden Knights. Kempny had 10 points (3G / 7A) in 53 games a season ago.
The Penguins do not play until Thursday, but it seems unlikely that Murray will be available after being diagnosed with a concussion. The Penguins are expected to provide an update on their goalie’s status following Tuesday’s practice session.
Over the last three seasons with the Capitals, Grubauer had a 2.25 GAA and .923 SV% in 63 starts and 18 relief appearances as Braden Holtby’s backup. This summer he was dealt to the Avalanche, where he’s expected to split time with Semyon Varlamov. The Avalanche have won their first two games of the season, but have not been the same team on the road.
Murray allowed six goals on 36 shots, but still walked away with a win vs. the Capitals on Thursday. It wasn’t a great start to the season for the young netminder, but there should be better days ahead. He is a must-start tonight vs. a Montreal team that is expected to finish in the bottom-third of the league this season.
Murray had a tough time with injuries last season. He was started under 50 games for the last two seasons and is tied for 19th in SV% (.915) and 23rd in GAA (2.66) over that stretch. Tonight he faces the Capitals, who smashed the Bruins 7-0 last night. Murray was 2-2-0 with a 3.01 GAA and .899 SV% against Washington last year.
Schultz is dealing with a “nagging” upper-body injury but the Penguins don’t think it is anything serious. It sounds like Schultz will get some time off to end training camp to make sure he is ready for the start of the regular season.
Kempny was acquired from the Blackhawks mid-season in 2018. Kempny had seven points (1G / 6A) in 31 games with Chicago and three points (2G / 1A) in 22 games with Washington—10 points (3G / 7A) in 53 games overall. Kempny is a solid second/third-paring defenseman, who will be with the Capitals through the 2022 season.
Grubauer was acquired from the Capitals on Friday and signs with the Avalanche, where he figures to start the season as Semyon Varlamov’s backup. Grubauer has played in more than 20 games in each of the last three seasons and ranks tied for first in GAA (2.25) and tied for third in SV% (.923) among goalies with at least 60 games played over that span.
Grubauer is set to become a restricted free agent on July 1st and is expected to be Semyon Varlamov’s backup in 2019. Grubauer was 15-10-3 with a 2.35 GAA, .923 SV% and three shutouts in 35 games with the Capitals last season. Grubauer even started the first two games of the playoffs before Braden Holtby took his job back in Game 3 vs. the Blue Jackets.
Hayden, 23, was a third-round pick (No.74 overall) in 2013 and turned pro after his senior season at Yale University in 2017. Last year he split his season between the AHL and NHL—picking up 17 points (5G / 12A) in 24 games with Rockford and 13 points (4G / 9A) in 47 games with Chicago. Hayden is a physical winger with some skill who should be in Blackhawks’ bottom-6 this fall.
