Pittsburgh Penguins acquire Douglas Murray from Sharks
By Matt Shetler
Just hours after adding the top six winger that they needed, Pittsburgh Penguins’ general manager Ray Shero was at it again.
Shero has been a busy man for sure, striking early with still a week until the NHL trade deadline. Yesterday it was winger Brenden Morrow; today it is San Jose Sharks’ defensemen Douglas Murray.
Mar 05, 2013; Vancouver, British Columbia, CANADA; San Jose Sharks defenseman Douglas Murray (3) during the first period against the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Anne-Marie Sorvin-USA TODAY Sports
ESPN’s Pierre LeBrun reports Pittsburgh acquired Murray from San Jose in exchange for two second-round picks from the Penguins, with the second pick being conditional upon Murray re-signing with the Pens.
Like Morrow yesterday, prior to the trade, Murray has spent his entire career with one team, spending his first eight NHL seasons in San Jose after the Sharks drafted him in 1999.
Murray is 33 and stands 6’3″, 245 pounds and is a very physical and hard-hitting defensemen. In 2012 he led the Sharks with 126 hits, and finished second on the team with 143 blocked shots.
The biggest thing though is that Murray adds another veteran presence to the locker room and brings even more playoff experience. He has been to the Western Conference Finals twice with the Sharks and has played a total of 57 postseason games, where he has scored two goals with eight assists.
Shero was looking for a defenseman to play alongside Kris Letang, who is currently out of the lineup with an injury, but I don’t know if Murray is it, as Penguins’ head coach Dan Bylsma will likely reshuffle his pairings as Murray isn’t the greatest skater in the world.
In 451 career games, Murray has scored six goals with 53 assists and has a career plus-minus of plus-32.
Murray is in the final season of a four-year, $10 million deal signed in 2009, with an annual cap hit of $2.5 million