Murray had two points and was a minus-12 in 53 games with Montreal last season. He played mostly on the third defensive pairing, but started becoming more of a healthy scratch in the latter stages of the regular season and into the playoffs. The Canadiens wanted to get a look at some of their younger defenders as a sixth/seventh blueliner, and Murray became expendable - and unrestricted. He remains without a job right now.
Murray is a Swede who patrols the blue line like a blue-collar, head-cracking Canadian who would make even Don Cherry proud. And you know that's a huge compliment for the stocky defender. He doesn't give you a lot of points, but he's a great add if your league is constructed around specialty categories like hits and blocked shots -- Murray's a monster in both categories. The addition of Brad Stuart pushes him down to the 5/6 pairing, but he'll still be a force on the ice.
Murray is invaluable to the Sharks as a shut-down defender, having roughed his way to 203 hits and 140 blocks last season. But his upside with the puck is severely limited. Since entering the NHL with the Sharks in 2005-06, Murray has never had more than 17 points in any given campaign. Interestingly enough, he recorded a career-high 102 shots on goal last season but lit the lamp just once. Since fantasy owners generally require a copious amount of points to succeed, Murray won't be worth fighting for on draft day.
Murray is cemented in a defensive role for the Sharks but he was more active handling the puck last season, setting career highs in goals (4), assists (13), and shots (85). Also, for the first time in his five-year career, Murray averaged over 20 minutes of ice time per game. Despite the offensive surge, his paycheck comes from his ability to deliver hits and takeaways from the back end of the ice, therefore, he has limited fantasy appeal.
Plain and simple, Murray’s job is to defend. Nobody expects him to put pucks in the net, but he still is well regarded by the Sharks for his ability to stymie opponents. If you need an offensive-minded defenseman for fantasy purposes, consider adding Dan Boyle or Rob Blake instead.
Murray is an ideal choice to round out the Sharks' defensive arsenal. Although he is not a flashy player, the Swede boasts intimidating size at 6-foot-3, 240. His efficiency on the rink led to a robust plus-20 rating. Murray needs to improve his conditioning regimen in order to secure more ice time. He did play 31 more games in 2007-08 than the year prior, so perhaps this is a sign that he is ready for his first full season. He is barely a fantasy option due to his lack of offensive opportunity.
Murray posted three points, all assists, and 31 penalty minutes in 35 games with the NHL. Even if your league factors in penalty minutes do not bother with Murray as he won’t see enough ice time. Murray will be the eighth defenseman on the Sharks’ roster.
He'll throw his body around and take care of things in his own end. But with just one point in 34 games last year, why would you want Murray on your club? Unless he's a personal friend, you pass.
Young defenseman could be part of team's future, but he didn't make the opening-night roster in October, 2005.
