Left-shot defenceman Ryan Murray has signed a one-year contract with the Colorado Avalanche. The deal carries a $2 million AAV and is one-way.
Murray is a middle-pairing defenceman with offensive upside. In 2020-21, he scored 14 points in 48 games for the rebuilding New Jersey Devils. He was drafted 2nd overall in 2012 by the Columbus Blue Jackets and has failed to reach his full potential thus far. At 27-years-old, Murray certainly still has a lot left to give.
As Elliotte Friedman noted, “(Colorado is) a good place to chase a Cup”. The question is if Colorado will give Murray the runway he needs to succeed. With the trade of Ryan Graves to the Devils, a spot on the left-side opens up for him.
Ryan Murray, who signed for 0.8 Tucker Poolman’s, had a down year with the Devils, but looks like a reasonable top four bet for Colorado. pic.twitter.com/VTFWYYaWZc
— dom at the athletic (@domluszczyszyn) August 2, 2021
Ryan Murray is not a top-pairing offensive weapon as he was billed to be when he was drafted. However, he is a solid minute-eating defenceman. He will likely play 18-20 minutes per night, mostly at 5-on-5 for the Avalanche. With all of the offensive star power the Avs have, including Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen, Gabriel Landeskog, and Cale Makar, this change of scenery bodes well for him.
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