HabsWorld.net -- 

Although there is plenty of discourse regarding the forward rankings after
Nail Yakupov, the same cannot be said of the draft-eligible defencemen. 
By most reports, Ryan Murray is the best defence prospect this year, and is
projected to go as high as 2nd overall.  Such is his potential and
NHL-readiness, Team Canada GM Kevin Lowe chose Murray to play at the 2012 World
Championship, and was the second youngest player to ever suit up for Canada
behind Paul Kariya.  But with their pipeline already full of blue-chip defensive prospects, will
Montreal pass on this future defensive for help up front?

Defence

Born: September 27, 1993 – White City, Saskatchewan

Height: 6’1    Weight: 201 lbs    Shoots: Left

ISS Rank: 2    THN Rank: 4    McKeens Rank: 4

Year Team League GP G A P PIM
2008-09 Moose Jaw Mid 41 12 26 38 12
2009-10 Everett WHL 52 5 22 27 31
2010-11 Everett WHL 70 6 40 46 45
2011-12 Everett WHL 46 9 22 31 31
  Canada WJC 6 0 3 3 0

Murray is a strong 2-way defenceman that can be used in virtually every
situation.  His skating is excellent, and he utilises that ability along with his
size to make life difficult for the opposition’s top forwards.  Moreover,
his great first pass clears his zone efficiently, and his passing and shot are
above average.  His point totals aren’t what most would expect for a high
draft pick selection, but one must wonder if his numbers would be higher if he
had been playing for a more offensive team than the Everett Silvertips for the
past 3 seasons.  Like most top prospects this year, there are questions if
Murray is a superstar in the making, or if he will simply be a quality NHLer for
years to come.

Despite Murray’s apparent readiness to enter the NHL, it is doubtful that he
would be playing for the Canadiens in 2012-13, if indeed selected by Montreal. 
Most would agree that Montreal’s defence is too inexperienced to add a rookie,
and that they would be better off finding a stop-gap via free agency. 
Furthermore, with the likes of Nathan Beaulieu and Jarred Tinordi already in the
system, Murray would have his work cut out for him to distance himself from the
pack and make the team out of camp.  All these reasons would likely point
to GM Marc Bergevin passing on Murray come draft day, but it’s hard to say if
the idea of such an elite corps of defenders in a few years might sway his
decision.