New Jersey Devils: Ryan Murray Improves Everything Defensively

Ryan Murray makes everything better for the New Jersey Devils.

The New Jersey Devils made a steal of a trade when they sent a 5th-round pick to the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for Ryan Murray. He has one year left on his deal, but fans should feel confident (as of now) that he will sign an extension. This is a great trade for the New Jersey Devils as they try to fix a lot of holes in their lineup. They are automatically a better team by adding Murray to the organization.

A lot of people might start to wonder where he will play which is a valid question. The answer seems simple, pair him with an offensive defenseman because he can take care of any defensive lapses. He is very good in his own end which should be a tremendous help for them. It feels like a guy like Damon Severson would be the perfect partner for him. He will also be a great addition to an already good penalty kill unit.

This is a player that was a second-overall pick back in 2012. You also might remember the time that Team North America stole our hearts at the World Cup of Hockey back in 2016. Murray was a big part of the defensive side of that squad. You know that if you played on that team, you were a talented player. He can finally be used properly on a team like the Devils.

You might be wondering why the Blue Jackets would trade him if he was so good? Well, the answer is because of some recent injury history. He hasn’t played in more than 56 games in a season over the past three years. His offense also hasn’t developed the way experts thought it would, but that is a non-issue for the Devils. They have plenty of offensive-minded players so he can continue working on his defensive game. It would be nice if he can score every now and then or make a play, but it isn’t a necessity.

New Jersey is trying to improve its team in all areas and this trade is proof of that. They are instantly going to be a better team if he stays healthy. That is a big if but when he is there, the team will be able to play the game it truly wants to play. To go with Murray, they might make another addition or two but they also have to hope that some of the players around him also continue to improve. All of this will be for not if that doesn’t happen.