Murray to Undergo Season Ending Surgery

The Blue Jackets have confirmed that 2012 2nd overall draft pick Ryan Murray will undergo surgery to repair his injured shoulder. The recovery will require at least three months - perhaps more.

It's disappointing on several levels - not only will this cost Murray a chance to break into the NHL this season (should there be a season), it also will prevent him from participating in his final World Junior Championship tournament. Almost a shoe-in for the team (and perhaps the captaincy), he will instead be watching from the sidelines as friends and teammates play for their country.

Like most fans, it's hard not to wonder what might have been. If there had been no lockout, Murray almost certainly would not have been playing in the WHL. The chances of suffering a freak injury still exist, but it's all too easy to think that this particular random accident could have been avoided.

Unfortunately, there's nothing to be done now but allow Murray to heal, and hope that the injury will not have any long term side effects that could impact his promising career.

Howson: No decision made on Murray's Injury

According to the Blue Jackets themselves, GM Scott Howson expects Ryan Murray to travel to Columbus and have his MRI results reviewed by team doctors before a decision is made on potentially season ending shoulder surgery. If that is accurate, it may mean the team thinks the damage to his labrum will heal naturally, but it may be too soon to get excited one way or another - after all, the team doctors may review the data and agree that surgery is the best option.

Ryan Murray Out 3+ Months With Torn Labrum

Everett Silvertips beat writer Nick Patterson is reporting that Blue Jackets 2012 draft pick Ryan Murray has suffered a "slight" labrum tear, which will require surgery to repair. The procedure is to be performed on Sunday in Columbus, and carries a typical recovery time of three to five months.

On the one hand, it's another bit of incredibly disappointing news, but on the other, it does mean that IF the season gets going, Murray might be available in late February / early March should all go well. In practical terms, it also means the competition for a bottom D pairing slot just got more interesting - without the pressure to keep Murray at the NHL level or return him to juniors, expect guys like David Savard and Tim Erixon to make a major push.

The larger concern, however, may be the risk of re-injury. We don't know what kind of tear Murray suffered (other than the wonderfully vague "slight"), but given that he was injured in a fall to the ice, the possibility of a Bankart Lesion is very real, meaning the shoulder could be vulnerable to future dislocations and complications down the road.

For now, all that can be done is to wait, watch, and wish Ryan well. Here's to a speedy and thorough recovery - perhaps we'll have some NHL hockey waiting for you when all is said and done.

Ryan Murray Suffers Shoulder Injury

The #2 overall pick from the 2012 NHL draft suffered a shoulder injury on Friday that, depending on the severity, could threaten his season.