The Pittsburgh Penguins’ organizational history has a plethora of great players, and we’ve decided to go through the best Penguins’ players to wear each jersey number. Today, we continue the list by naming the best #30 in Penguins’ history.
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There have been 17 players to wear #30 for the Penguins, and all of them aside from defenseman Francois Leroux in 1995 have been goaltenders: Les Binkley, Andy Brown, Gord Laxton, Jean-Sebastien Aubin, Dany Sabourin…
… and two-time Stanley Cup Champion, Matt Murray.
© Brad Mills – Imagn Images
Murray’s run of success with the Penguins was short-lived, but while it was happening, it was something to behold. He was drafted by the Penguins in the third round of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, and it took a few seasons for him to find his way to the NHL.
He made his NHL debut on December 19, 2015 at age 20, but was sent back down as fast as he was called upon. He was called up again in February – this time, to stay – and vastly impressed down the stretch.
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In the 2015-16 season, he posted a 9-2-1 record with a 2.00 goals-against average (GAA) and a .930 save percentage (SV%) heading into the postseason. And he shined just as brightly under the brightest lights.
En route to the Penguins’ fourth Stanley Cup Championship in 2016, Murray started all but three games and posted a 2.08 GAA and .923 SV% along the way:
Over the two seasons from 2015-17, Murray posted a combined 2.21 GAA and a .927 SV% in the regular season, along with an astounding 1.89 GAA and a .930 SV% in the playoffs.
His career-best marks came in the 2017 playoffs with a 1.70 GAA and a .937 SV%.
He also made a name for himself by making some seemingly impossible stick saves:
Murray played five seasons for the Penguins from 2015-20, and he struggled mightily in his final season with the team. Despite his late struggles, he still managed a 2.58 GAA and a .916 SV% over his Penguins’ career – and, most importantly, led the team to two consecutive Stanley Cup Championships as a rookie.
He was traded to Ottawa in the 2020 offseason and played two seasons there before being traded to Toronto in July 2022. Murray spent the entire 2023-24 season on LTIR after undergoing bilateral hip surgery and signed a one-year, $875,000 contract to remain with the Leafs for the 2024-25 season.
Honorable Mention: Jean-Sebastien Aubin
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