Predators Place Justus Annunen on IR, Recall Matt Murray Ahead of Toronto Trip

The Nashville Predators are officially playing musical chairs in the crease. According to Daily Faceoff, Justus Annunen is heading to injured reserve, and Matt Murray is packing his bags for a sudden call-up to the big club.

Losing a goaltender this early in the season is the kind of headache that ruins a coaching staff's morning coffee. Annunen hits the shelf just as Nashville was trying to build some actual momentum following a tight 2-1 victory over the Dallas Stars on Sunday.

Now, the Predators have to pivot immediately. They are heading out on an Eastern Conference road trip that kicks off against the Toronto Maple Leafs tonight. Throwing a freshly recalled goalie into the fire against that specific offense is like volunteering to test a new shark cage, but Nashville does not exactly have a choice.

This is exactly the kind of roster update that sends the betting markets into a blender. Goalie news is the ultimate line-mover, and swapping a roster regular for an AHL call-up right before facing a high-powered offense is going to make oddsmakers scramble. If you were looking at the total for tonight's game, this IR stint just changed the entire math equation.

Nashville follows up the Toronto gauntlet with a trip to play the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday. Murray is going to have to get comfortable in the blue paint immediately, because the Predators desperately need someone to stop pucks while Annunen recovers. Welcome back to the show.