NHL Free Agency: Top 5 Free Agents still on the board after Day One

4. Ryan Murray

Having been the No. 2 overall pick in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, there was understandably a lot of hype surrounding Ryan Murray and, while he’s had a nice career in the majors, it hasn’t quite lived up to expectations.

Still only 27-years-old, there is still time for Murray to finish with a flourish and he could be quite the pickup for a team looking for a second-pairing or high-end third-pairing defenseman on Day 2 of NHL Free Agency.

While he was okay with the New Jersey Devils in 2020-21, recording 14 points (0 G, 14 A) in 48 games with a plus / minus rating of +3, Murray is a reliable two-way defenseman who can contribute at both ends of the ice.

He has good size at 6-foot-1 and 206 pounds, he can lay the body on, he’s an excellent shot blocker – he blocked 73 shots last season – he can log big minutes, he can play in all situations, he’s mobile and he can also kill penalties.

While he’s probably not an elite top-four defenseman at this stage of his career, Murray could benefit from being placed in the right system and the right environment, and he could thrive playing for a real contender in a specific role.