Ty Murchison’s Future: Can the Flyers Learn from a Similar Situation?

Philadelphia Flyers’ rookie defenseman Ty Murchison made a strong impression during his NHL debut Tuesday vs. the San Jose Sharks. The young blueliner showed his poise, skating ability, physicality, and toughness during his first career NHL game.

Drawing into the lineup for Egor Zamula while Cam York is still sidelined, Murchison was paired with Noah Juulsen during his debut and showed that he can keep up with the NHL game.

Murchison moved his feet well, made smart decisions with the puck, and proved that he is a tough and physical defender. “He skates well, he’s not scared, he can go in the corner, and he can win battles. We like that,” said Flyers head coach Rick Tocchet.

Based on Wednesday’s practice, it looks like the Flyers are going to give the 22-year-old another look on Thursday against the Las Vegas Golden Knights.

Murchison’s play is already sparking some conversation. Sure, his play could have been an adrenaline rush because it was his NHL debut, but the rookie looked like he belonged. He played a solid game and turned in one of the better performances this season from that group currently in the mix for the third pair.

“Do you keep him over somebody else? He’s a young guy. Do you let him go down in the minors? These are the questions that we’ve got to talk about, and then obviously come to an agreement [on],” said Tocchet.

Tocchet knows that this is a good problem to have. The Flyers have depth at the blueline, especially with guys like York and Rasmus Ristoalainen nearing their return. Murchison’s emergence can cause competition, and that can make others improve their play.

Tocchet added, “If he keeps playing well for us, we’re going to have to make some hard decisions.”

You can only have so many players on the roster, and a decision needs to be made soon.

Read More: Flyers Postgame Blog: Rookie Laps, Major Milestone, & a 4th Line Goal

Can the Flyers learn from the Emil Andrae situation?

It feels like a bit of deja vu. Here we are, once again, debating whether or not a young Flyers defenseman deserves to stick on the roster. Should he play over some of the other defensemen? Or, is Murchison better off going back to Lehigh and getting more reps with the Phantoms?

This feels eerily similar to a decision the Flyers had to make with Emil Andrae not too long ago.

Andrae was called up for a short stint earlier in the season with Cam York out. He was, maybe wrongfully, sent back down upon York’s return. He was recalled after Tyson Foerster’s first injury this season, and has stuck on the roster since.

However, Andrae’s play caused debate. Initially, the choice was to send him back down to the AHL to keep him playing consistent games, but eventually, he earned his spot in the everyday lineup.

Murchison’s situation draws many similarities. He is a young defenseman with plenty of room for development. He is also waiver-exempt, so when you need the roster spot, it’s an easy way to clear space.

However, in his small, one-game sample, Murchison proved to be a solid stay-at-home defenseman. He looked like one of the better third-pair options the team has, deserving of a deeper look.

If they learned anything from the Andrae situation, it should be that when you give young guys an opportunity, they have the chance to flourish and be a real asset to the team. If Murchison continues to play well, conversations should be had.

How Murchsion’s situation is different

While there are similarities, Ty Murchison’s situation is also very different than that of Emil Andrae.

Cam York is out, but will return to the lineup sooner than later. He is already practicing with contact. When York returns, you could keep Murchison on the roster and, in theory, keep him in the lineup playing the right side, despite it being his off-side, alongside Nick Seeler, with whom he plays a very similar game.

However, when Rasmus Ristolainen returns, it feels like a safe assumption that he will be the third-pair’s right-side guy. Would you really play Murchison over Seeler? I doubt the Flyers would do that.

With Andrae, there was a clear spot for him in the lineup. Now that he has really grabbed hold of that spot, there is really only one position on the blueline, which will eventually go to Ristolainen when he is ready to go.

That said, there is not really a spot for another defenseman in the lineup come late December/January.

Some food for thought: Murchison’s play style could be unaffected by breaks between games. In his game, it’s more about being home and being an anchor, and less about being noticeable and moving pucks.

Andrae needs to play consistent minutes to keep his strength, his offensive game, sharp, and continue to be noticeable. Murchison’s play style is more about his physicality and skating. With his style, it’s a good thing when you go unnoticed – it means he is not making mistakes.

When Ristolainen is ready to go, sending the 22-year-old back to the AHL feels like the right choice. But until then, why not give Murchison a chance to make the decision even harder for the Flyers?

What would you do with Murchison?

Read More: Flyers Practice Notebook: Short but Intense, Team Spirit, & an Injury Update