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I am sure that the absolute last thing on the minds of most Bruins fans on the day of Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals is the NHL Entry Draft, but the SB Nation hockey crew is in the middle of this year's mock draft and the Bruins' pick just happened to fall on today's date.
With the 9th pick in the 2011 SB Nation Forced Collaboration Make-Believe NHL Draft, Stanley Cup of Chowder (on behalf of the Boston Bruins) selects defenseman Ryan Murphy from the Kitchener Rangers of the Ontario Hockey League.
Ryan Murphy finished first among defenseman in points in the OHL with 79 points (26-53-79) this season for the Kitchener Rangers and was named Player of The Game in the OHL Prospects Game. The right-hand shooting Aurora, Ontario native played on the Canadian Under-18 team at the World Championships in Germany this year and took home the tournament's Top Defenseman honor.
Murphy is a mobile undersized defenseman, who is listed between 5'10" and 5'11" and 166 lbs and 176 lbs (depending what you read). The 18-year-old blue liner has great offensive ability and likes to jump up into the play. According to scouts, Murphy's skill set makes him a tremendous asset on the power play. The biggest knocks on Murphy seem to be his defensive zone play and lack of size.
"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. (He's) also an excellent all-round skater. He's got real good mobility. He's a bit of a gambler. He does move the puck well, but he's going to have to concentrate on making good plays."
Chris Edwards, NHL Central Scouting
"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. He’s got all the intangibles to be an all-star not only in this league, but the National Hockey League."
Steve Spott, Kitchener Rangers Head Coach
- Murphy is teammates with Bruins' 2009 6th round pick Tyler Randell on the Kitchener Rangers.
- How can a guy named Murph not fit in in Boston?
- He is represented by Ian Pulver of Pulver Sports. Pulver also represents Tyler Seguin.
- All three of NHL.com's mock drafts had Murphy going between in the pick #8 to #10 range.
- Murphy lists the Harry Potter series as his favorite books, so at least we know he can read at a fourth grade level.
Further Reading: