Ryan Murray Scouting Report

So now that the Maple Leafs have settled into the fifth overall selection (barring any major surprises from the draft lottery), the draft picture becomes a little bit clearer and the list of draft candidates becomes a little narrower. Today, let's talk about Everett Silvertips' captain Ryan Murray, a tremendously skilled defenseman earning comparisons to the likes of Scott Niedermayer.

The Basics: All-around defenseman with top notch mobility for the Everett Silvertips; 31 points in 46 games played.

Strengths: It's not easy living up to a comparison to a Hall of Fame calibre player, but Ryan's doing a pretty good job so far. His resume speaks for itself. Murray was the Canadian captain for the gold medal winning U18 Ivan Hlinka tournament team and was also named the Silvertips' captain at the tender age of 17. He is an absolute horse on the Everett blueline, touching a ridiculous 30+ minutes/game and is a difference maker at both ends of the ice. Red Line Report commended Murray on his superb defensive play, describing him as virtually "flawless positionally". The offensive statistics a bit misleading due to a weak team, but Murray possesses high level poise, vision and rushing ability. He's mature beyond his years, has all the tools to become a future captain and is likely ready to step onto an NHL blueline next season. [more…]