Canes sign Murphy to 2-year deal

The Carolina Hurricanes have another defenseman under contract, signing Ryan Murphy on Thursday to a two-year contract.

The deal will pay Murphy, a former first-round draft pick by Carolina, $750,000 in 2016-17 and $825,000 in 2017-18.

“Ryan is still a young player at 23, and has shown he can contribute offensively from the blue line,” general manager Ron Francis said in a statement. “He has developed through our system and we look forward to seeing his game continue to grow.”

Murphy, 23, split the 2015-16 season between the Hurricanes and the team’s American Hockey League affiliate, the Charlotte Checkers. He had 10 assists in 35 games with the Hurricanes, and scored seven goals and earned 17 assists in 32 games with the Checkers.

Murphy has six goals and 29 assists in 124 career NHL regular-season games with the Hurricanes since making his debut in 2012-13. Carolina drafted Murphy 12th overall in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft.

This story was originally published July 14, 2016 at 8:08 PM with the headline "Canes sign Murphy to 2-year deal."