Columbus Blue Jackets: The Case for Keeping Ryan Murray
By William Espy
Ryan Murray has fallen out of favor with many Columbus Blue Jackets fans however trading him now may not be the best idea.
The Columbus Blue Jackets have had faith in Ryan Murray to grow into a top pairing defenseman since he was drafted second overall in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. Five years later, he still seems as far away from that expectation as he was then. Trading him now seems like a smart move to many people for various reasons; he still has value, he’s still young, and he’s fallen down the depth chart so far that it will not be difficult to recover from.
These negative points toward Murray can also be reflected in a way that will make them seen as positives. His value on the open market means that other teams see him as a potential piece that may turn out, while is it by no means a guarantee it would show that it is believable. Also, not many 23 year old defensemen in the league would be able to say they’ve played in four NHL seasons already (although the 2014-2015 season had minimal playing time for him due to injury).
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On an Edmonton Radio show Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.ca has noted that Murray’s spot on the depth chart may cost the Blue Jackets a large portion of his trade value. This is another reason the Blue Jackets should see how much they can attempt to raise his value this season. If Jack Johnson leaves in free agency at the end of his contract, Murray will likely be able to step into the second pairing role much more comfortably than Gabriel Carlsson or Markus Nutivaara at least temporarily.
The Contract
According to CapFriendly.com, Murray is entering the final year of a two-year contract with an Average Annual Value (AAV) of $2.825M. This value is a little high for a bottom pairing defenseman, however if he moves up to the second pairing for any reason it becomes almost a bargain, assuming he performs at that level.
His contract demands at the end of next season will likely determine his future in Columbus. If he wants $4M or anywhere higher than that, odds are he’ll be traded. Anything less than that, it becomes bearable.
Trading Ryan Murray while his value is at an all-time low may turn out to be a mistake that haunts the Columbus Blue Jackets for years to come. There is a real possibility that he turns into nothing more than or 4th or 5th defenseman. The word potential has been thrown around for so long with Murray that fans are tired of it, however it still does exist in his case. We still have a lot more to see of Ryan Murray.