Last week, we welcomed Carolina d-man Ryan Murphy to the trade rumor mill.
Today, another development on the Murphy front -- he’s been sent to AHL Charlotte on a conditioning stint.
The 12th overall pick in 2011, Murphy missed the start of the year with a lower-body injury and made his season debut on Nov. 1. From there, he played in just three more games -- for a grand total of four -- and hasn’t suited up since going minus-3 in a 4-2 loss to Anaheim 11 days ago.
All told, Murphy is averaging just over 13 minutes per night, and has scored just a single point. TSN’s Darren Dreger reported that Murphy “doesn’t seem to be a fit for Hurricanes head coach Bill Peters,” adding the 23-year-old blueliner “will likely be on the move.”
The former OHL standout could have some value across the league. He’s a right-handed shot, which is vital, and a good skater with nice passing vision. Injuries have been a problem throughout his four-year career, though, and he’s never played more than 48 games in a single season.
Heading to Charlotte shouldn’t be a huge shock for Murphy. He’s spent considerable time there in the past, including 32 games last year.