Adrian Dater
Ryan Murray was billed as a legit future NHL star when the Columbus Blue Jackets picked him second overall in the 2012 draft – right behind former Av Nail Yakupov. His career hasn’t quite lived up to those expectations, perhaps partially because of recurring back issues that have sidelined him before.
But he still represents a good one-year gamble for the Colorado Avalanche, who signed the 27-year-old left-shot D-man to a one-year, $2 million contract. He projects as a possible top-four D-man on the club and the de facto replacement for Ryan Graves – ironically, part of the New Jersey Devils, where Murray last played.
Or, depending on his play, he could be viewed more as the de facto replacement for Patrik Nemeth on a bottom-six pairing.
The Avs have pursued Murray before. They tried to acquire him in 2017, but the two sides couldn’t work it out. Four years later, he’s here.
From the Avs release:
Murray, 27, spent the 2020-21 season with the New Jersey Devils, where he registered 14 points (0g/14a) in 48 contests. A former first-round selection (second overall) of the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2012, Murray spent seven of his eight NHL campaigns with Columbus and ranks eighth all-time among Blue Jackets defensemen in points (110) and tied for sixth in assists (95). His plus/minus rating (+13) is tied for fourth all-time among Columbus rearguards, and he ranks fifth in blocked shots (593).
“Ryan is an effective two-way defenseman who can provide minutes and added puck movement to our back line,” said Avalanche Executive Vice President / General Manager Joe Sakic. “We like the experience he brings to our locker room, and we’re excited to see him fit in with our group.”
Overall, Murray has collected 124 points (15g/109a) in 395 career regular-season NHL games and has recorded three points (1g/2a) in 20 total Stanley Cup Playoff contests. He appeared in a career-high nine postseason games in 2019-20.
The 6-foot-1, 206-pound defenseman set career highs in points (29), assists (28) and plus/minus (+20) in 2018-19 and played in a career-best 82 games during the 2015-16 season.
I’ll be honest, I didn’t see Murray play much at all this past season, but I do recall him as a pretty big, mobile rearguard who has a pretty good first pass. As someone who may be facing lower-back surgery soon myself, I know that back problems are debilitating and may explain away some of Murray’s, at times, subpar play in the NHL. I’ll also be honest: I thought the Avs might use most of their last, remaining cap space on a top-six forward type – maybe a gamble on the Murray version of a forward.
But as Sakic has said before: “You can never have too much D.”
PuckPedia says the Avs still have about $1.5 million in cap space, but I think that’s it for summer spending/acquisitions. They have 23 players that are expected to play on one-way contracts this coming season, at least at the start, so there’s not much room under the cap or on roster for much more.