From Aaron Vickers:
The Carolina Hurricanes selected Ryan Murphy of the Kitchener Rangers with the 12th overall pick in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft.
There isn’t a defenseman in the draft that possesses the offensive upside that Murphy has.
A dynamic offensive talent, Murphy can quarterback a powerplay with his vision, take the puck end-to-end with his smooth skating, or make a quick outlet with his excellent passing ability. There isn’t anything on the offensive side of the puck that the Aurora, ON. native cant do. This is evident in his 26 goals and 79 points in 63 games this season.
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Where Murphy is lacking, though, is in his own end.
The five-foot-10, 165-pound blueliner isn’t going to be a physically intimidating force along the boards or in front of the net. His defensive awareness is also lacking, as he can be caught watching plays develop. What should be of further concern is his lack of passion in the defensive zone.
Regardless, the offensive upside of Murphy is elite and can be a game changer at the next level as he was with the Kitchener Rangers of the OHL.
Aaron Vickers is the managing editor of Future Considerations and can be found on Twitter at www.twitter.com/VickersFC. Follow the latest Future Considerations news and posts, follow FC’s Official Twitter Feed at www.twitter.com/FCHockey, on YouTube at www.youtube.com/futureconsiderations and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/FCHockey
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