The Silly Season 3000 is warming up.
And with the NHL Draft in Vancouver rapidly approaching, it's best to get the engines primed now.
We know the Columbus Blue Jackets are going to look different in the fall. What we don't know, at least yet, is who will stay and who will go. One name that's appeared in the rumor mill early on is defenseman Ryan Murray, who needs a new contract and is coming off a solid year that was cut short due to (another) injury.
One team with interest is believed to be the Chicago Blackhawks, and recent reports from The Athletic bureaus in Cleveland/Columbus and Chicago have connected some dots. This, over the weekend, from The Athletic Chicago's Scott Powers:
The Blackhawks recently talked to the Columbus Blue Jackets about acquiring defenseman Ryan Murray, according to a league source. As of now, it doesn’t appear a deal is getting done, but that of course could change in the coming weeks.
So, stand down (for now) regarding Murray being traded, but his name surfacing now means the Blue Jackets are definitely letting teams know he's available.
Does it make sense for the Blue Jackets to move on from Murray? It's becoming more clear that this is their preference, whether it's the "right" path or not. They haven't been able to rely on Murray, despite his strong play when in the lineup; Murray has missed 172 games due to injury in his career and played only 56 games in 2018-19.
