The Columbus Blue Jackets lost the chance to host the 2013 All-Star Game last Friday and might opt for a potential future All-Star to undergo surgery on Tuesday.
High-end defensive prospect Ryan Murray plans to meet with GM Scott Howson tomorrow to determine if his shoulder injury warrants surgery, The Columbus Dispatch’s Aaron Portzline reports.
The 2012 NHL Draft’s second overall pick suffered a torn labrum on Nov. 16, leading Portzline to forecast a four-month recovery window.
It’s unclear if surgery how surgery would affect such a timetable, but either way, it’s a tough break for a team that turned down a massive offer from Garth Snow to keep the pick.
(Also sadly worth noting: the Blue Jackets franchise has had a checkered past with high first-rounders not named Rick Nash, most notably with players such as Nikita Filatov and Nik Zherdev.)
At 19, it’s not the end of the world for Murray, but one cannot blame the Blue Jackets organization if they feel a little exasperated at this point.