Lost in the breakout seasons of Zach Werenski and his defense partner, All-Star Seth Jones, was the importance of a perhaps overlooked young defenseman.
Ryan Murray has had his share of well-documented injury troubles over the last three-plus years, and he got through all of last season healthy and then most of 2016-17 unscathed until a broken hand ended his season on Mar. 11.
It was a tough blow for Murray, who was fitting into his role on a revamped Blue Jackets defense before the injury.
Murray blocked a shot from Sabres forward Tyler Ennis in the first period of that game in Buffalo and did not return. He was diagnosed to miss four-to-six weeks, which put him on track to return at some point during the playoffs, which appeared to be the case had the Blue Jackets’ first-round series progressed.
"He’s had some bad luck, without question, but he’s got to overcome that."– John Davidson on Ryan Murray's injuries
During the season-end press conference on Monday afternoon at Nationwide Arena, Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen said Murray would have been on track to play in Game 6 had the club won Game 5 in Pittsburgh.
“He had two pins in his hand,” Kekalainen said. “It takes a while to get the strength back, the conditioning back.”
Kekalainen said the puck hit Murray’s glove on the knuckle, and the knuckle was pushed back in his hand as a result of the impact. Ouch.
The 23-year-old was Columbus’ first pick, No. 2 overall, in the 2012 NHL Draft. He was projected to be a steady, no-maintenance defenseman who can log big minutes. He’s shown he can do that, but the injuries have become frustrating for him, with a bad knack of showing up at the wrong time.
"Balance" was the operative word for the Blue Jackets this season, and on the back end, they had more balance and depth than ever. Davidson alluded to the fact that the impressive seasons from Werenski, Jones and even Markus Nutivaara to some extent were not lost on Murray – and that he has something to remember when he hits the gym this summer.
“It’s a big summer for Ryan – for him and for us,” Davidson said. “He knows it, and we’ve had good talks with him. He’s a good hockey player. We’ve seen very good things from him. He’s had some bad luck, without question, but he’s got to overcome that.
“He’s not a young puppy anymore. He seems to me, at least, to be a more mature (player). He saw some people go by him (on the depth chart), he’s a competitive kid. He knows he’s a big summer, and for us, that’s a luxury. He’ll be ready to go.”
