Ex-SKA Defender Analyzes Murphys Performance Compared to Nikishin

Former SKA defender Kirill Safronov evaluated the performance of the army club’s player, Trevor Murphy, likening him to former team defenseman Alexander Nikishin.

– I believe that Murphy is a solid defenseman. He is fulfilling the role for which he was brought in. He plays reasonably well on the power play. At the beginning of the season, he was scoring points, though that has decreased recently. The army team isn’t scoring a lot, making it challenging to expect high offensive output from defensemen, even those who once accumulated 50 points. Overall, in my opinion, Murphy’s performance has been respectable.

– Many expected Murphy to fill the void left by Nikishin. Is he failing to live up to that expectation so far?
– I wouldn’t compare these two players. Nikishin was a young Russian defenseman who transitioned from a promising prospect to a leader in both the KHL and SKA. There was a notable difference in the team’s performance when he was on the ice versus when he wasn’t. He was a significant figure.

If we are talking about offensive defensemen, the team is playing differently now. Last season, they scored more and had higher point totals. At this moment, they haven’t yet found their scoring rhythm. Consequently, the points for players have been limited, — Safronov said, as quoted by «Sport Day by Day.»

Murphy has played 17 games this season, with a total of 8 points (1 goal, 7 assists).