New Jersey Devils: 5 Teams That Should Be In On Ryan Murray

The New Jersey Devils have had some major defensive issues for most of the season, but they still have multiple defensemen that could be desirable on the trade market. Dmitry Kulikov, Sami Vatanen, and even P.K. Subban have been mentioned in trade talks. However, the one that seems to be tied to the most teams is left-handed defenseman Ryan Murray.

The Devils traded a 5th-round pick to the Columbus Blue Jackets to get Murray in the offseason. He seemed like a great risk to take for the former second-overall pick in the draft. He filled a major weakness for the team, and he could be paired with Subban, who was terrible last season.

It’s never really worked out. Lindy Ruff hasn’t seen what he needs to in this season, and Murray was one of the problems that led to a league-worst penalty kill. Ruff eventually benched Murray. After playing Will Butcher for multiple games, Murray was able to get another chance in a back-to-back. He hasn’t left the lineup since.

The Devils made some subtle changes to his usage, and he’s been much, much better. They have him playing less on the penalty kill. They dropped his TOI to around 17 minutes per game. Now, Murray has been a huge part of the defensive turnaround.

Don’t let this fool you. The Devils defense still has a ton of issues, but Murray has really turned around his trade value. Teams are looking at him, and the Devils might be able to get better than a 5th-round pick at the deadline. These teams are looking for help on the blue line, and they will very likely give the Devils a call on Murray.