5. Mikhail Grigorenko
6. Griffin Reinhart
7. Teuvo Teravainen
8. Radek Faksa
9. Matthew Dumba
10. Morgan Rielly
11. Jacob Trouba
12. Cody Ceci
13. Brendan Gaunce
14. Zemgus Girgensons
15. Olli Määttä
16. Tom Wilson
17. Sebastian Collberg
18. Matt Finn
19. Andrei Vasilevski
20. Slater Koekkoek
21. Henrik Samuelsson
22. Derrick Pouliot
23. Tomas Hertl
24. Hampus Lindholm
25. Nicolas Kerdiles
26. Scott Laughton
27. Ludvig Bystrom
28. Cristoval 'Boo' Nieves
29. Oscar Dansk
30. Malcolm Subban
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New York should be getting better. They've found a franchise level center in Tavares and have stocked the cupboard everywhere. With some stability in net now, New York hopes some tweeks here and there will lead them to the promise land sooner rather than later.
"With the fourth overall pick in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, the New York Islanders are proud to welcome, from the Everett Silvertips of the Western Hockey League:
Ryan Murray."
An impressive player in a multitude of ways, Ryan Murray has been on the map for a while. That's without his World Junior appearance and World Championship experience all this past year. One of the older 2012 eligibles, Murray is a complete two-way defender who likes to model his game after the likes of Scott Neidermayer.
Murray is an excellent skater. He utilizes a fluid stride and terrific foot work to burn defenses in a multitude of ways. His skating, alone, is used as an offensive weapon. He has the ability to carry the puck and many times, lead a rush on his own. He also shows great mobility in all four directions for his defensive game.
He also has a strong head for the game. He shows top end vision when transitioning the play, or in offensive zone situations. His positioning is outstanding defensively and he seems to know where he and everyone else on the ice should be. He has a very active stick and is a defensive threat with it. He finds open ice well and does a lot of little things that go un-noticed.
Offensively, he's a strong passer, who can hit you with a soft saucer, or a crisp hard pin point pass. Murray quarterbacks a PP very well and can even be the trigger man with a heavy shot to beat goaltenders clean.
Beyond this, Murray is a leader. He rallies his teammates well, and calms them when the going gets tough. He communicates well and can be seen directing teammates on the ice in key situations. All at a young age, having been Captain for Everett.
At times, he has a tendency to force plays that aren't there. As he matures and finds himself in a better situation, this should iron itself out.
Wherever Murray ends up, the team will pick him with the understanding he'll never be a high-end offensive player, but rather a contributor at both ends. To me, Murray will be the Ryan Suter to someone's Shea Weber. He's a terrific player to compliment another terrific player with more of a roving game.
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