Ryan Murray to Blue Jackets: Video Highlights, Scouting Report and Analysis

Position: Defenseman

Height/Weight: 6'0", 185 lbs

Shoots: Left

DOB: September 27, 1993

Team: Everett Silvertips (WHL)

The best defenseman in the 2012 NHL draft class is Everett Silvertips star Ryan Murray, and he will be a No. 1 defenseman at the NHL level for a long time. He can defend the best players in his own zone, and his offensive production is quite impressive. 

His positioning on the ice is fantastic, and he understands when to join the attack and when to stay back and make sure the team won't get caught in an odd-man rush. Murray is a very good skater, which helps him take the puck up ice and help his team enter the zone cleanly. He can also run the point on the power play and use his big slap shot effectively with the man advantage.

Two of the best attributes about his game cannot be measured on the stat sheet, and they are his remarkable composure and leadership ability. When you look at many of the best leaders in the NHL right now, it's not surprising that many of them are defensemen. It wouldn't be surprising at all if Murray leads an NHL team as captain at some point in his career.

He's the complete package and has nearly all the qualities that a general manager could want when taking a defenseman high in the first round. He is the typical franchise defenseman that most great teams are built on.

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Nicholas Goss is an NHL Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report and was also the organization's on-site reporter for the 2011 Stanley Cup Final in Boston.