Snapshots: Murray, Canucks, Studenic, Lomberg

Defender Ryan Murray has a long history of chronic back injuries. He played just 13 games in 2022-23 and played nowhere last season. However, Aaron Portzline of The Athletic reports (Twitter link) that Murray has undergone surgery that he believes has resolved his chronic back problems and is looking to secure PTO with an NHL team this summer. The 29-year-old was the second overall pick in 2012 and has played in 445 career games at the top level to date, with 15 goals, 116 assists and 716 blocked shots. PTO deals often take longer to materialize, so Murray will likely have to wait a little longer to see what opportunities become available closer to training camp in September.

More from the world of hockey:

• Although the expectation was that the Canucks would go along Arthur Silovs as Thatcher Demko‘s backup next season, that may no longer be the case. Thomas Drance and Rick Dhaliwal of The Athletic report (subscription link) that Vancouver will be looking for a veteran netminder on the open market, and it appears they’re willing to spend around $1.5 million for that player. Casey De Smith served as a second-string option last season, but doesn’t appear to be an option at this time. Silovs still has one year left on waivers, so there’s an argument to be made that he would be better off playing as a starter in the minors rather than as a second-string with Vancouver.
• Crack free agent winger Marian Studenic has signed a two-year contract with SHL Farjestad, according to a team release. The 25-year-old spent most of the year at AHL Coachella Valley, where he recorded 15 goals and 29 assists in 64 games, earning him a two-game recall to Seattle. Studenic also added 11 points in 18 playoff games for the Firebirds. However, instead of staying in the minors, he opts to try his hand overseas.
• Pending UFA winger Ryan Lomberg appears to have priced itself above what the Panthers can afford, per David Dwork of The Hockey News (Twitter link). The 29-year-old scored 12 goals and 20 points in 2022-23 but was limited to just five goals and two assists in 75 games this past season, though he added a career-high 175 hits. Lomberg played at an AAV of $800K the last two years and Florida will need several players at that price point again next season. If Lomberg thinks he can beat that on the open market – a reasonable assumption – then he’ll have to go elsewhere to get it.