Ryan Murphy awaits NHL Draft fate
OHL skaters Ryan Murphy, Dan Catenacci, Barclay Goodrow and Steven Janes all grew up five minutes from one another, were minor hockey teammates with the York Simcoe Express and as close friends all hope to be selected in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft.
Though the four players remain close-knit, Murphy has separated himself from his former Express teammates with his dynamic skating and playmaking ability at the blueline during two stellar seasons with the Kitchener Rangers.
Undaunted by his size, just 5″10′ and 170 pounds, Murphy is the most offensively gifted d-man in the 2011 draft class and is projected to be selected among the top 12 on June 24 in Minnesota.
Not short on confidence, Murphy is a player that thrives on high-pressure situations and who feels particularly at home while operating from the point on the man-advantage.
“I’ve always wanted to be the guy with the puck on my stick. I love glory and scoring goals and I like all that stuff more than anything. I guess when it comes down to it, I want to be the guy who scores that goal,” said Murphy in an interview with The Good Point.
“I like to be the difference maker on the ice; I like to have the puck with the last minute to go in the game. I like the feeling of controlling something so the power-play is a pretty good fit for me.”
Murphy’s prowess as a power-play quarterback has certainly caught scouts’ eyes.
[php snippet=1]
“Ryan’s work on the power play is outstanding, He sees the ice very well and is creative, [has] excellent passing ability and a great shot that he gets through to the net,” said Central Scouting’s Chris Edwards.
“[He’s] also an excellent all-around skater. He’s got real good mobility.”
And the numbers reflect Murphy’s desire to be the go-to-guy. The Aurora, Ontario native has been a point-producing defenseman at every level of competition.
In 2008-09 as a member of the York Simcoe Express AAA squad, he tallied 95 points in just 34 games. In the following two seasons with the Kitchener Rangers, Murphy scored at a remarkable rate of just under a point per game — 118 points in 125 games — including 26 goals in 2009-10, the most among OHL blueliners.
“He’s like no one else in this league. You can’t get to him, you can’t hit him. He’s a kid that’s slippery, his vision is second to none, his hockey sense is second to none. He can skate and he’s got a rocket,” Rangers head coach Steve Spott told NHL.com.
“He’s got all the intangibles to be an all-star not only in this league, but the National Hockey League.”
Despite Canada’s underwhelming fourth-place finish at the 2011 U-18 World Junior Championship, Murphy did his part for the Red and White as he potted four goals and 13 points en route to being named the tournament’s top defenseman.
While there is no doubting Murphy’s sublime offensive skills, the diminutive rearguard faces questions about his play in the defensive zone.
“I had 23 interviews at the Combine and I think all 23 teams asked me if defence would be an issue. My answer to that was ‘no, I can play defence.'”
The 18-year-old said he had a reputation as a defensive liability prior to entering the Ontario Hockey League and added that the label has unfairly stuck with him.
“It was in my minor hockey days when my [York Simcoe] coach Maurice Catenacci taught me a lot about the offensive side of the game,” he said. “He always told me that I should be playing as much offence as I can in minor hockey and later someone would teach me the defensive side of the game.”
“When I came [to the Rangers], I knew little-to-nothing about the defensive side of the game. My coaches — Troy Smith, Paul Fixter and Steve Spott — they worked with me so much in my first year and they kept putting me out there, even when I made mistakes.”
Murphy said the Rangers coaching staff has trusted him in all defensive situations, a sentiment that has led to considerable improvements in his play.
“My coach [Steve Spott] played me in 5-on-5 situations, last minute to go in games, on the penalty kill. So he trusted me and I don’t think I let him down. I was plus-22 this year so I don’t see the big problem with my defensive play.”
Murphy is good friends with teammates Ben Fanelli and Gabriel Landeskog, the Rangers captain and potential first-overall pick in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft.
“It certainly helps having [Landeskog] on the team to go through it together,” Murphy said. “In minor midget, when I was going through the [2009] OHL draft I had Daniel Catenacci on my team — of course, the first overall pick — and it’s pretty cool how I might [have played] with the first overall NHL pick, too.”
Murphy said now that the sun has set on the 2010-11 OHL season there are no more opportunities to impress NHL teams with his on-ice play. Now, the draft weighs heavily on his mind.
“Yeah, I’m nervous. It’s the NHL Draft, it’s a pretty big deal. It’ll probably be the biggest day of my life and I’m nervous but at the same time I’m excited.”
***
Check out more of The Good Point’s 2011 NHL Entry Draft Prospects Series.
[php snippet=1]
