It turns out that Ryan Murphy’s time in the KHL hasn’t come to an end after all as Dynamo Minsk announced that they’ve added the defenseman on loan from the Henderson Silver Knights, AHL affiliate of Vegas. The deal is for the duration of the KHL season but Vegas reserves the right to recall him to their farm team at any point before then as well.
The 27-year-old spent last year with Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk in the KHL after spending most of the 2018-19 season in the minors. Murphy fared relatively well in his first international stint, picking up eight goals and 15 assists in 56 regular season games which was enough to get him another opportunity in North America as he inked a minor league pact with Vegas back in August.
While he’s on an AHL-only deal for the time being, a good showing overseas could help Murphy’s chances of getting converted to an NHL two-way pact. Cap space is going to be an issue for the Golden Knights all season so as long he’s willing to sign for the minimum, it’s possible that he could suit up for them at some point next season and give them an experienced option (he has 175 games of NHL experienced) at a low price.