The Columbus Blue Jackets have re-signed restricted free agent defencemen Ryan Murray to a one-year deal worth $2.825 million. He is set to be a restricted free agent again next summer. Murray accepted the qualifying offer made by the team in June.
#CBJ news: Ryan Murray has accepted the club’s qualifying offer. It’s a one-year deal worth $2.825 million.
— Mark Scheig (@markscheig) July 14, 2018
Ryan Murray Re-Signs with the Columbus Blue Jackets
Murray has spent his entire five-year career with the Columbus Blue Jackets. He has scored 12 goals along with 60 assists for 72 career points in 264 career NHL games. Murray has also added two assists in 11 career Stanley Cup Playoff games. His best season was in 2015-16 when he scored four goals and 21 assists for 25 points in 82 games. He was originally drafted in the first-round, second overall in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft by the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Last season, Murray had one goal and 11 assists for 12 points in 44 games. He also added eight minutes in penalties. His possession numbers were 49.8 percent Corsi-for with a relative Corsi of +3.2. Murray had an assist in six Stanley Cup Playoff games last season. The Jackets fell in the first round to the Washington Capitals. Murray is coming off a two-year $5.65 million contract with an AAV of $2.85 million per year. He signed this contract in February 2016.
What This Means for the Future
Murray will look to rebound from last year after missing a good chunk of time with a back injury. Murray is a young shot-blocking defenceman for the Blue Jackets. Moving forward you can look for Murray to crack the top-six and be a regular on the Jackets blue-line this year. Murray finished the year on the third pairing alongside Markus Nutivaara. It will be interesting to see if Murray can rebound next year after an injury-shortened season last year.
MONTREAL, QC – NOVEMBER 27: Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Ryan Murray (27) skates with the puck during the third period of the NHL game between the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Montreal Canadiens on November 27, 2017, at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec (Photo by Vincent Ethier/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
