The Checkers’ blue line has gotten a big boost as the Hurricanes have assigned Ryan Murphy to Charlotte.
For the third straight year, the defenseman has split his season between the NHL and AHL. Murphy has suited up for the Checkers 30 times so far this season, totaling 22 points (7g, 15a). The third-year pro has points in each of his last three games with Charlotte, the most recent of which came in Manitoba on Feb. 28.
Murphy has been a largely consistent producer for the Checkers in his time in the AHL, racking up 63 points (10g, 53a) in 80 games.
Heading into the final two games of the season with a playoff berth on the line, the addition of Murphy should help the Checkers considerably. The blue liner has been particularly lethal on the man advantage, with 14 of his 22 points this season coming on the power play, which will hopefully spark a Checkers’ unit that has gone ice cold over the last part of the season.
The Checkers now have eight available defensemen on their roster, two of which are on PTOs (Mike Cornell and Zach Miskovic).
