Columbus Blue Jackets Sign Ryan Murray to a One Year Deal
The 24-year-old defenseman has agreed to a one year deal with the Columbus Blue Jackets.
The Ryan Murray saga added another chapter as he has agreed to a one year qualifying offer worth $2.825 million according to the team. The former 2nd overall pick has spent the last five seasons with the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Murray had another season soured by injuries last year. The Saskatoon born defenseman only played 44 regular season games. It was the second lowest games he has played since entering the NHL in 2013.
Injuries have always been the top story when it comes to Ryan Murray’s career. The second headline though is his solid play with Markus Nutivaara when he is healthy. The two formed a great partnership this year and were the Jackets second best pairing behind the dynamic combo of Zach Werenski and Seth Jones. Although the two didn’t get the headlines or playing time as the “LumberJackets”, they were a better defensive pairing.
Columbus Blue Jackets
Do or Die Season
The one year contract is all about what the Jackets have coming in the pipeline. The organization is still high on former first round pick Gabriel Carlsson who spent last year in Cleveland. The young left shot defenseman is a prime candidate to fill in on the second pair with Nutivaara if he can bounce back from an injury filled season.
The Jackets also own the NHL rights to Vladislav Gavrikov who is an impressive Russian defenseman. He has a gold medal and was a top pairing defenseman for the KHL’s top squad last season. At 22-years-old, he could come to the Jackets and start right away. He still has one year on his contract with SKA St. Petersberg.
If the Jackets can get Gavrikov over to North America or they think Carlsson makes an improvement, it would likely signal the end of the Ryan Murray era in Columbus. Even if the Jackets don’t get Gavrikov or pull Carlsson up, Murray may still go.
His contract is ripe to be traded as Murray will still be an RFA after this season; albeit with arbitration rights. Teams always value young defenseman with potential and the RFA negotiations are very valuable to teams across the league.
Watching Murray play, you can see the top four potential he has. He is a great two way defenseman that can lock down and add some punch. On a less deep team, he would be a great second unit power play quarterback too. But his tenure in Columbus has been underwhelming and this contract is a reflection of that.
This year Murray needs to stay healthy and play like a second overall draft pick should. He needs a big year if he wants to come back with the Columbus Blue Jackets next season. Even that though may not ensure his return with the uncertainty the organization faces with Sergei Bobrovsky, Artemi Panarin, and Zach Werenski all due for big contracts (hopefully) at the end of next season. There just may not be space for Murray with the viable alternatives the team has.