Matt Murray has only been back on the ice for a few weeks now, still in the early stages of rounding into form for the upcoming season.
But in terms of answering questions about the Penguins' goalie situation, he is already in midseason form.
"I know this question's going to come a thousand times, but really, that's out of my control," Murray said after practicing with Team North America at the UPMC Lemieux Sport Complex in Cranberry.
"I just focus on my game. ... Whatever their decision (is) will be their decision. That's not my place to worry about."
In fact, Murray said he hasn't really been worrying about much of anything _ at least hockey-related _ over the past few months, following a life-changing spring that saw him backstop the Penguins to a Stanley Cup.
He'll return to the Consol Energy Center ice for the first time since June's Stanley Cup final Wednesday when his Team North America takes on the Czech Republic in a World Cup of Hockey exhibition game.
Murray spent most of the summer at his home in Thunder Bay, Ontario, and said he stayed off the ice for about two months before resuming workouts a few weeks ago.
"I didn't really think about hockey for a couple of months," Murray said. "It was a good mental break, which I think is much needed after a long season like that. This summer was just about kind of sitting back, relaxing and enjoying myself."
That included staying away from social media and speculation about the Penguins' future plans in net. Murray said he avoided the trade speculation regarding teammate Marc-Andre Fleury this summer and joked that he's even considering deleting his Twitter account entirely.
All in all, Murray is glad Fleury will be back with the Penguins to start this season, even if it may mean less playing time for him _ and, yes, plenty of questions about the situation.
"He was a big emotional support for me," Murray said. "Throughout the whole playoff run, I said it a hundred times, he was a big part of why I was able to stay relaxed and stay focused.
"He was able to crack a joke at the right time, give me advice when I needed it, that type of thing. He's done it. He's one of the best in the world, and that's never a bad thing to have alongside (you)."
Murray's summer did have one notable highlight: the day he brought the Stanley Cup to his hometown.
It wasn't the first time the Cup had been to Thunder Bay, also home to the Staal brothers and Patrick Sharp, but Murray's public event still drew around 5,000 people.
"It seems like the Cup's there every second year," Murray joked. "Everybody's really excited, and obviously the Stanley Cup is quite the sight to see. It was very exciting to be able to bring that home and share it with the people I grew up with."
Soon, Murray and the Penguins will begin their defense of that Cup, and Murray said he knows the Penguins will have a target on their back from the start. With virtually everyone returning, though, Murray said he was excited to get started.
"We know we have a pretty good group in here," he said. "We obviously had the keys we needed last year to win, but we know nothing's going to be handed to us."
First, though, comes the World Cup. Murray seems like the odds-on favorite to start in net for Team North America when the tournament gets going next weekend, but coach Todd McLellan wouldn't divulge the goalie plan for Wednesday's game after today's practice. Murray played all 60 minutes in North America's 4-0 win against Team Europe Sept. 8, but John Gibson was in net the whole game for their second exhibition win Sept. 11.
"We can't satisfy all of those personal needs," McLellan said. "It's more about us getting prepared and getting ready for the tournament than it is to satisfy family and friends. We're not going to apologize for it, but that's just the way it is."
Still, McLellan said Murray's Stanley Cup experience would be a major asset, especially for a team with youth as its defining quality.
"When you play in those situations, under that microscope as a rookie, you've gained a lot of experience," McLellan said. "You've began to handle the media, you've been able to handle pressure and you've been rewarded for it. He should feel very good about his ability to play in that spot, and I think that can rub off on others as well."
This week, that leadership has come partially in the form of Murray dishing out local dining advice to his out-of-town teammates, with Butcher in the Rye and Eddie Merlot's as his Downtown go-tos.
Soon enough, Murray will be back in Pittsburgh for the upcoming season, and is _ perhaps a bit begrudgingly _ prepared for more questions about what the future holds for both he and Fleury.
He certainly enjoyed a summer away from them, though.
"I didn't really focus on that much at all during the summer," he said. "I tried to stay off my phone, really, for the majority and enjoy myself. Just kind of celebrate the great season that we had."
