Cory Murphy for Conditioning

The Panthers are looking to use another conditioning stint to help one of their players get back in to game shape and maybe help out the Amerks at the same time.

That means Cory Murphy's headed north. Earlier in the season, Murphy was waived and went unclaimed, but there was no intention to send him to the AHL at that time.

Now, he's over his injury and he's got nowhere to go in the roster, so like Noah Welch, getting him the extra playing time could be a good thing. Of course the difference here is that Murphy is coming off an injury.

So we'll see what comes of this. Murphy could play up some trade value if he's able to get some confidence back. After his hot start last year was derailed by injury, he was never the same. This year has started no better than last season ended and he's been sidelined again due to injury.

Rochester desperately needs another spark to help out Brodeur and while Murphy's not quite Noah Welch in stature, if the player that put up nine points (eight on the power play) in his first month of NHL hockey shows up, maybe he can help them out for a couple of weeks. And by then, who knows what will have happened.