Defenseman Ryan Murray Murray has long struggled with chronic back injuries. He played just 13 games in the 2022-23 season and was absent from the lineup last season. However, Aaron Portzline of The Athletic reports that Murray has had surgery and believes his chronic back troubles are behind him, and he will be seeking a PTO with an NHL team this summer (Twitter link). The 29-year-old Murray was the No. 2 overall pick in 2012 and has played 445 games at the top level, recording 15 goals, 116 assists and 716 blocked shots. PTO contracts often take a while to materialize, so Murray will have to wait a while to find out what opportunities are available as training camp nears in September.
More news from the hockey world:
- The Canucks Arturus Silovs As Thatcher DemkoThat may not be the case when it comes to a backup next season, as The Athletic's Thomas Dorrance and Rick Dhaliwal are reporting that Vancouver is looking to acquire a veteran goaltender on the open market and would be willing to pay around $1.5 million for the player (subscribe link). Casey DeSmith He was a reserve player last season, but that doesn't appear to be an option at this point, and with one year of waivers remaining on his roster, some have argued he would be better off playing as a starter in the minor leagues rather than as a reserve in Vancouver.
- Kraken free agent winger Marianne Studenik Studenik signed a two-year contract with SHL's Farjestad, according to a team announcement. The 25-year-old spent most of the year with AHL's Coachella Valley, scoring 15 goals and 29 assists in 64 games, before making a two-game return to Seattle. Studenik also added 11 points in 18 playoff appearances with the Firebirds. However, he chose to try his hand overseas rather than remain in the minor leagues.
- UFA-eligible winger Ryan Romberg According to David Dwork of The Hockey News, Lomberg has set a price that is more than the Panthers can afford (Twitter link). Lomberg, 29, is coming into the 2022-23 season with 12 goals and 20 points, but had just five goals and two assists in 75 games last season, though he did have a career-high 175 hits. Lomberg has averaged $800,000 per year the past two years, and Florida will need to have a few players in that price range next season. If Lomberg believes he can make more than that amount on the open market (which is a reasonable assumption), he will need to go elsewhere to get it.
