The strong likelihood is that the Kraken will begin the 2025-26 season with three goalies on their roster. That would include incumbents Joey Daccord and Philipp Grubauer, along with free-agent newcomer Matt Murray (above photo). Grubauer and Murray discussed their feelings about a three-netminder rotation, and other topics, at recent media availabilities.
Matt Murray
“There’s always a special relationship among goalies. I think it’s a bit of a brotherhood. We sit all three of us next to each other in the dressing room, so we’re constantly chatting every day. They’re the only other guys that you can really relate to, the only other guys playing your position. You can work off each other.
“All of us have quite a bit of experience around the league now, so you can bounce ideas back and forth, support each other while still having that competition. Competition drives everybody forward. That’s why we’re all here.”
Murray was in Toronto’s system last year at the same time Kraken coach Lane Lambert was a Maple Leafs assistant.
“Coming from Toronto, I had a bit of familiarity with Lane, especially the way that we practiced last year. Everybody’s been flying out there (at Kraken camp). Incredibly high intensity, high pace, lots of reps, lots of battle drills. I think it’s been bang on.
“Training camp is when (goalies) start to see real traffic, guys going to the net. Summer doesn’t really do that. You don’t want to get hit by a puck or risk an injury. You just want to ramp up and find your peak at the right time.”
Murray says goalies, during a game, need to keep from getting caught up in the chaos constantly swirling around them. A netminder who fails to do so could wind up out of position.
“Compete is a part of hockey. I’m a very competitive guy and sometimes I have to tone it down a little bit. Being too competitive and too intense can certainly work against you. That’s one of the difficulties of goaltending, always trying to find that line.
“That’s a big thing that people can misconstrue. If you’re overcompetitive as a goalie, you can be kind of jumpy, ahead of the play. Maybe full of holes as well if you’re moving a little bit too much. It’s about controlling that emotion.”
Philipp Grubauer
“If we carry three, we carry three. Matt (Murray) is an awesome guy to have around. That’s something I can’t control. Everybody obviously is fighting for a spot and prove themselves. Anything after training camp is up to the coaches and the management.
“A lot of teams are doing it. You look at the schedule, in January we have 17 games. That’s a crazy amount of games in a short period of time, with travel. We have one goal here, to win a Cup. So whatever it takes, whoever steps in net is going to do a great job for us.”
As you’d imagine, new coach Lane Lambert’s emphasis on defense is music to a goalie’s ears.
“It’s been incredibly detailed, focused on the ice. Way, way more detail, more defensive and system-oriented than last year. If you want to play playoff hockey, those details we were working on make a difference in the long run.
“You can win a couple of games scoring six, seven goals. But in the end, you need to not give up too many. So it’s going to help us on the back end, not giving up too many grade A chances. That’s how we won in Washington and with a couple other teams. Defense wins championships.”
A native of Rosenheim, Germany, Grubauer has been announced as one of Team Germany’s goalies at the 2025 Winter Olympics in February.
“Nothing really changes because this is going to happen. It’s not like I’m focused on only the Olympics. Training camp has got to be good for me, and then moving into the regular season.
“It’s a small dream come true. Growing up (in Germany), we didn’t have access to NHL highlights. So we always watched the Winter Olympics. It’s the best hockey you can possibly get. To represent Germany on a stage like this is a huge honor and I’m happy to do it. But there’s still a lot of like time left.”