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Ryan Murray

New Jersey Devils Acquire Ryan Murray

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The Columbus Blue Jackets continue to shed salary from their defense corps. After trading Markus Nutivaara earlier today, the team has now traded away former top prospect Ryan Murray. The Blue Jackets have announced that Murray has been dealt to the New Jersey Devils in exchange for a 2021 fifth-round pick.

Murray, 27, is a productive two-way defenseman… when healthy. The 2012 No. 2 overall pick has not been able to live up to expectations due to his inability to stay on the ice. Murray played in just 27 games for Columbus this season and has played in just 187 of a possible 316 games over the past four years combined.

Murray’s career per-game scoring rate projects 30+ point upside over a full season, even if he’s never hit that mark. However, his $4.6MM AAV implies an expectation that he will reach that point total every year. New Jersey has now taken on the financial risk for the final year of Murray’s final deal in hopes that he finally lives up to the deal. If he does, the Devils will have landed the talented blue liner at a rock bottom price.

The Blue Jackets did not trade Murray because he has fallen short of expectations though. By moving Murray and Nutivaara, as well as buying out Alexander Wennberg and knowing that they have a Brandon Dubinsky LTIR placement in their back pocket, Columbus now has roughly $20MM in salary cap space. They suddenly look like one of the top players on the free agent market and with a defense group that is still solid despite shipping out two starters and a great duo in net, the Blue Jackets can devote those funds to making major additions up front. A team whose 2019-20 season was defined by the elite talent they lost to free agency could begin next year with the opposite label, with names like Taylor Hall, Mike Hoffman, or Tyler Toffoli possibly joining the roster.

Metropolitan Notes: Werenski, Murray, Carlson, Kuznetsov, Hamilton

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The Columbus Blue Jackets suffered a tough loss Friday when they blew a three-goal lead to the Toronto Maple Leafs in the final four minutes of the game only to see themselves fall in overtime, giving Toronto a chance to force a Game 5. Many point to the defensive injuries to Zach Werenski, who missed the final nine minutes of the game, as well as the missing Ryan Murray. However, Blue Jackets’ head coach John Tortorella announced today that both Werenski and Murray are expected to play in today’s matchup, according to TSN’s Kristen Shilton.

The 23-year-old Werenski was expected to be a major loss to the team, trying to stave off the offensive power of Toronto. He suffered an upper-body injury during the third period and underwent and MRI Saturday. That test must have come back positive as the blueliner is expected to return to the ice. He has averaged 26:42 of ice time for Columbus and should provide a major obstacle for Toronto. Murray was scratched for Game 4, but is also expected to return to the ice. Goaltender Jonas Korpisalo is expected to start in net.

  • The Washington Capitals were without John Carlson when the team took the ice Sunday against the Boston Bruins. The team’s top defenseman has yet to make an appearance in any of the team’s round-robin games with an undisclosed injury, according to NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti.  There is no word on whether he will be available for Game 1 of the team’s first-round matchup. Carlson was a dominating force, posting 75 points in 69 games during the regular season and is a key piece to the team’s long-term success in the playoffs. Head coach Todd Reirden also noted that forward Evgeny Kuznetsov has returned to his usual place in the lineup after being benched in the third period, according to The Athletic’s Tarik El-Bashir. The center only played in three shifts in the third period due to his inconsistent play.
  • NHL.com’s Dan Rosen reported that Carolina Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind’Amour said that it’s too early to tell whether defenseman Dougie Hamilton will be ready to go for Game 1 of the playoffs this week due to an undisclosed injury. However, Brind’Amour did say that if Hamilton is ready to go, he will play. Unfortunately, the coach did say that defenseman Brett Pesce, out with a shoulder injury, is not expected to play in this next series.

Snapshots: Return Plans, Murray, Nilsson

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In recent days, the NHL had briefly shifted their focus from restarting in centralized hubs towards playing in club cities, reports Larry Brooks of the New York Post.  That would have assuaged some concerns from players over the potential from being away for their families for an extended period of time.  However, Brooks notes that the league has quickly pivoted away from that to focus exclusively on the four-city plan.  It remains to be seen if the regular season will be concluded or if they will jump to the playoffs if they are indeed able to get things back underway.

Elsewhere around the hockey world:

  • To say that Blue Jackets defenseman Ryan Murray has been injury-plagued throughout his career would be an understatement. He has only played more than 66 games just once and multiple ailments have limited him to just 27 games this season.  The blueliner admitted to John Matisz of The Score that he wondered if he’d be forced to hang up his skates early as a result of everything but after consulting with doctors, there has been no reason to seriously consider that.  The 26-year-old has one more year left on his deal with a $4.6MM price tag and will be eligible for unrestricted free agency in the 2021 offseason.
  • Senators goaltender Anders Nilsson should be able to return if regular season play resumes, goalie coach Pierre Groulx told Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch. He was sidelined by a concussion back in December and only passed his baseline testing last month.  However, with Ottawa well out of contention and a likely desire to give Marcus Hogberg as much playing time to evaluate him for a full-time spot for 2020-21, they will likely limit Nilsson’s action to only a handful of games at most.

Injury Updates: Murray, Carlo, Anisimov, Hamonic

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Ryan Murray’s injury history is a lengthy one and the Blue Jackets defenseman finds himself on the shelf again.  Columbus head coach John Tortorella told reporters, including Brian Hedger of the Columbus Post-Dispatch (Twitter link) that Murray is “nicked” and that he doesn’t yet know if it’s going to be a day-to-day issue or something longer.  The 26-year-old just returned to the lineup on Sunday after missing 34 games due to a lower-body injury and certainly made an immediate impact, picking up two assists in two games while logging over 20 minutes in each contest.  Markus Nutivaara will be back in the lineup to replace Murray.

More injury news from around the NHL:

  • The Bruins announced (Twitter link) that defenseman Brandon Carlo will miss tonight’s game against Tampa Bay due to the upper-body injury he sustained on Thursday night against Florida. Head coach Bruce Cassidy indicated that Carlo was at Boston’s practice facility today and was feeling better than he did after the hit but there is no timetable yet for how much more time – if any – he’ll miss.
  • Senators center Artem Anisimov did not accompany the team on their West Coast road trip, notes Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch. He missed Thursday’s game against the Islanders due to an upper-body injury and there is no timeline for his return.  It has been an up-and-down first season in Ottawa for the veteran who has 15 goals but just five assists in 49 games this season.
  • Flames defenseman Travis Hamonic participated in his first full practice since being injured early last month, reports Sportsnet 960’s Pat Steinberg (Twitter link). He still has to get the green light to take contact so he’s still not quite ready to return but the fact he’s now participating in practice means he’s close.  He sits third on the team in ice time per game at over 21 minutes a night and will be a big addition to their back end when he’s cleared to return.

Columbus Blue Jackets Activate Ryan Murray

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The Columbus Blue Jackets should get some much-needed help on their blueline after the team announced they have activated defenseman Ryan Murray from injured reserve. Murray has missed the past 34 games due to a lower-body injury he sustained on Dec. 14.

Murray has appeared in just 24 games with the Blue Jackets as a top-four option. The 26-year-old has two goals and seven points this season after putting up a career-high 29 points last season. Murray has dealt with injuries his entire career, having only played in an full season once in his career, back in 2015-16. He also missed three weeks earlier this season when he broke his hand.

With several defensemen still out, including Seth Jones and Dean Kukan, Murray should immediately slide back into the team’s top-four in hopes of helping the team reach the playoffs. However, the team’s biggest hope was to get Murray back before the trade deadline as he might have been a useful trade chip. The former No. 2 overall pick in 2012 is a solid shutdown defender, but still has one more year remaining on his contract at $4.6MM.

Ryan Murray Placed On Injured Reserve

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In what has become a familiar refrain, the Columbus Blue Jackets have placed Ryan Murray on injured reserve. The defenseman suffered a back injury last weekend against the Ottawa Senators and is listed as week-t0-week. Columbus has also sent Marko Dano down the minor leagues.

Murray’s name has been in the trade mill for years now, but it’s hard for any team to know if he’s even still an effective option. There haven’t been many stretches of healthy play long enough to really evaluate the 26-year old, as he spends just as much time in the trainer’s room as on the ice. Since debuting in 2013, Murray’s game totals by year have gone: 66, 12, 82, 60, 44, 56 and he’s played just 24 of the Blue Jackets’ first 35 games this season. While it is obvious he has skill to compete in the NHL, there’s just no guarantee that he’ll even be available at this point.

The injuries for Columbus are piling up but the team has actually won their last three and are trying to save a season that was quickly getting out of hand. The team now sits at 15-14-6 after their recent hot streak but are still seventh in the Metropolitan Division. If they at any point decide to move some of their assets Murray’s name will come up again, but he’ll have to be healthy enough to play in order to attract any buyers before the deadline.

East Notes: Hurricanes, Zaitsev, Raffl, Murray

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While he still hasn’t officially decided whether or not he will return this season, unrestricted free agent winger Justin Williams has been in contact with the Hurricanes in recent weeks, reports Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic in the latest Insider Trading (video link).  There’s no denying the obvious fit with Williams having had plenty of success with Carolina in recent years.  However, cap space is limited in Carolina and LeBrun suggests that the veteran would be open to playing elsewhere if it comes to it.  One possible solution would be to put easily achievable performance bonuses in the deal with a base salary close to the league minimum.  That would allow them to defer some of the bonus cap charge until 2020-21 when Patrick Marleau’s $6.25MM buyout comes off the books.

More from the East:

  • Senators defenseman Nikita Zaitsev is expected to be out until after the Christmas break, notes Postmedia’s Ken Warren. Head coach D.J. Smith noted that the blueliner was banged up after blocking several shots over the past few games so it appears that they’re opting to give Zaitsev some rest over him trying to play through a lot of pain.
  • Flyers winger Michael Raffl has resumed skating as he works his way back from a finger injury sustained two weeks ago, reports Sam Carchidi of the Philadelphia Inquirer and Daily News (Twitter link). The team is hopeful that he’ll be able to return early in their post-Christmas road trip.
  • Staying healthy has been an issue for Blue Jackets defenseman Ryan Murray and he is on the shelf once again. Aaron Portzline of The Athletic notes (Twitter link) that the blueliner is listed as week-to-week due to a lower-body injury.  Murray is someone that Columbus has held trade talks for earlier in the season but his inability to stay in the lineup consistently certainly has hurt his value.

Ryan Murray Activated From Injured Reserve

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The Columbus Blue Jackets have activated Ryan Murray from injured reserve, moving Adam Clendening back to the minor leagues in the process. Murray hasn’t played since October 26th after breaking his hand in a game against the Philadelphia Flyers.

Not only does this give the Blue Jackets another capable defenseman to insert into the lineup, but Murray is a leading trade candidate this season as well. A deal was never going to be made while he was injured, meaning speculation can at least start to heat up again now that he’s back on the ice. In the time leading up to his broken hand, Columbus was reportedly shopping the former top pick, something that could continue now.

Selected 2nd overall in 2012, Murray’s career has been marred by injury and inconsistency so far, despite being a regular in the Blue Jackets lineup since the start of the 2013-14 season. A legitimate shutdown defenseman when he’s playing his best, contending teams may be interested in adding him this season if he can prove his health. Murray has another year remaining on his current contract which carries a $4.6MM cap hit.

Blue Jackets Had Been Shopping Ryan Murray Prior To Injury

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Ryan Murray’s name has come up in trade speculation for several years now and it appears that his name has been out there again lately.  TSN’s Frank Seravalli reports (Twitter link) that prior to the broken hand he recently sustained, the Blue Jackets had been shopping the defenseman.  Of course, now that he’s set to miss three-to-four weeks, those discussions are almost certainly on hold.

Murray’s injury history is a rather lengthy one and it undoubtedly is part of the reason that his name is once again out there in trade discussions.  He has only managed to surpass the 60-game mark once in his career due to a variety of injuries and no matter how effective a player is, one that consistently misses that much time can’t realistically be a part of a long-term core group.

When the 26-year-old has been in the lineup over the years, he has been a capable top-four defender that has logged a little more than 20 minutes a game over the course of his career.  His offensive upside isn’t particularly high with just 14 goals in 330 career NHL contests but he’s an effective stay-at-home defender who skates well enough to succeed in the current environment where mobility is becoming more and more crucial.

That’s part of the reason that Columbus gave Murray a two-year deal this summer with a $4.6MM AAV despite the fact that he missed 26 regular season games plus the entire playoffs just one year ago.  However, with the team appearing to be heading for a rebuild, he becomes one of their most prominent trade options.  They’ll just have to wait a month or so until he gets the green light to return for those talks to rekindle.

Ryan Murray, Alexandre Texier Placed On Injured Reserve

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The Columbus Blue Jackets will be without two key players for the next few weeks, as both Ryan Murray and Alexandre Texier were placed on injured reserve. Murray is out for three to four weeks with a broken hand, while Texier is expected to miss two to four weeks with a knee injury. Both occurred during the Blue Jackets loss on Saturday against the Philadelphia Flyers.

Murray, 26, just can’t seem to stay healthy enough to ever really show what he is capable of. The second-overall pick in 2012 has missed substantial time in six of his seven NHL seasons, only remaining healthy in 2015-16. In fact, Murray has averaged just 53 games played over his career, a mark he’ll hopefully still be able to hit this season after returning in a few weeks.

Not only because of his injury history, Murray has also been involved in trade rumors for some time. With his current contract set to expire after the 2020-21 season and unrestricted free agency awaiting him thereafter, it seemed possible that this was finally the season that the Blue Jackets would find him a new home. Unfortunately this injury complicates things, as teams rarely trade for players dealing with something this serious.

For Texier, this is hopefully not a sign of things to come. The 20-year old forward burst onto the North American scene at the end of last season by dominating for the Cleveland Monsters and then suiting up for the Blue Jackets in the playoffs, and earned himself a full-time role with the club this year. He had just three points through 11 games so far however and had seen his ice time reduced of late. Still, he’s carries huge upside as a two-way player for the Blue Jackets that can play in all situations. Losing him for at least a few weeks will be tough, though he has lots of time to become that impact player.

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