Columbus Blue Jackets Should Shop Ryan Murray
Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Ryan Murray hasn’t quite lived up to expectations as the former No. 2 overall pick.
Maybe Columbus was never the right fit, or maybe it just worked out that way. Regardless, Ryan Murray has been held back by injuries and an occasional tentative style of play. As the Columbus Blue Jackets anticipate a promising future, dangling Murray’s name in the trade market might be for the best.
It’s not that he can’t put it together and be successful in Columbus, but rather that other reasons might outweigh the potential positives. Here’s why trading Murray may be a good idea:
Buried on the Depth Chart
Ryan Murray would probably be considered by most the fifth best defenseman for the Blue Jackets right now. He’s shown flashes of greatness but there’s no excuse for him to still be a third-pairing defenseman.
Additionally, the emergence of Zach Werenski makes Murray that much more expendable.
Murray shouldn’t be forced out or given away for cheap. However, he won’t be a top pairing defenseman in Columbus because of Werenski and Seth Jones.
Creates Room to Save Jack Johnson from Expansion
Jack Johnson proved to make a solid combination with David Savard last season. It would be nice to not have to break up the veteran duo.
Trading Ryan Murray would create room to protect Johnson, Savard and Jones from expansion. At this point, it would make much more sense to get rid of Murray than to trade Jack Johnson.
Related Story: Columbus Blue Jackets Expansion Draft Blue Line Strategy
Johnson has proved to be a solid playoff player which the Columbus Blue Jackets need right now. Not many guys have better numbers in the playoffs than the regular season. Saving Johnson from expansion would be huge.
Teams will overpay around draft time
If the Blue Jackets pitch Ryan Murray’s potential to other teams in a desirable way, they may be able to get a team to overpay for him.
This year’s draft class is seen as weak by many people. If Columbus reaches out to teams during the draft, a team that needs defense would probably send back a nice return.
A change of scenery would likely be very beneficial for Murray. Looking at last year’s team, Sam Gagner is a guy who found a spot in the right situation. Murray can still be a great NHL player if he ends up in a good situation.