Ryan Murray out

The Everett Herald's Nick Patterson, the Silvertips beat writer, found out this afternoon that Silvertips star defenceman Ryan Murray has a slight tear of the labrum in his shoulder and will be having surgery on Sunday in Columbus, I assume with the NHL Blue Jackets' surgeon of choice. You can read Nick's tweets about the injury here and here.

Needless to say, Murray is not going to be able to play for Canada at this year's World Juniors. Losing a returning player who would likely have been team captain and who is of the calibre of Murray - the #2 overall pick in the NHL draft last summer - is a significant blow.

As bad as that is for Canada, it's probably an even bigger blow to the Everett Silvertips, who would have probably traded Murray to a contender by the WHL trade deadline in January, netting a king's ransom in return. Now, it's quite possible they will get nothing for probably the best player ever to play for their organization. The most optimistic projection for his return - 3 months - would mean he would be able to play again in late February, so just in time for the end of the WHL regular season. But that's best case; worst-case scenario of 6 months means he doesn't play again this season at all.

Any WHL team trading for Murray now would have to do so hoping that (A) Murray is able to play again this season before that team's season ends, and (B) either the NHL season is lost or that Columbus returns Murray to junior rather than keep him at the tail end of a shortened NHL season.

Those are some big ifs, and even if a team is willing to take those risks, it's going to seriously affect what the Silvertips could get in return.

The best (only?) place in the WHL for Murray now may be the Saskatoon Blades, who are the only team in the WHL that knows for sure that they'll be playing in mid-May when Murray "should" be healthy.