Hockey players, as Davidson puts it, just want to play hockey.
It's what they do, often without regard for the ultimate cost to themselves or their teams. It's the reason he decided to talk with Murray, telling him not to return until the issue is fully resolved.
"He's been through everything," Murray said of Davidson, after going through another full-contact practice Saturday. "He came down and told me, 'I don't care how long it takes … you take all the time you need, and you get healthy again.' For a guy to come down and say that, it's just like, 'Alright, we're going to do this thing right. We're going to make sure when I'm back, I'm ready to go.'"
That's where Murray is right now, as he readies for a conditioning stint with the Cleveland Monsters as the next step in his journey back to the Blue Jackets' active roster.
Murray will join the Monsters on Sunday for a game in Chicago, and he'll put himself through another physical test in the American Hockey League. It's unknown how long his conditioning stint will take, but one thing is known.
"When he comes back, and he's close, he's going to be ready," Davidson said. "And if he's ready, mentally and physically, he's a terrific hockey player. He can help us."
Murray had done just that before the injury, which happened against the Montreal Canadiens on Nov. 27 at Bell Centre. He left early in that game and hasn't played since.
Murray's value wasn't tied to the five points (one goal, four assists) he had in 24 games this season. It was in the solid, dependable 17:27 he logged per game, while paired at first with Gabriel Carlsson and then Markus Nutivaara.
At the time of the injury, Murray's ice time was that of a second-pairing defenseman, after starting out on the third unit. His shot and passing were also beneficial on the power play.
Losing that for such an extended time was a tough void for Columbus to fill, which made sitting out even more miserable for Murray - who had "a few" setbacks to deal with during this recovery path.
The latest was tied to a practice Jan. 10 in Buffalo, a day before the Blue Jackets lost, 3-1, to the Buffalo Sabres. Murray skated in a full practice, after logging some individual skates, but the results weren't good.
He regressed, felt the pain return and needed to stop again.
"I was close, but I was pushing it too hard," Murray said. "And I knew I was. I was to a point where I was getting antsy to get back, and that's why I want to just make sure that it's the right timing [now]. I had a few setbacks, and I think I just pushed it too hard. This time, I've taken it a little slower, and it feels a little better - and I want to make sure that when I do come back, I'm healthy and I can stay back. I don't want it to be a part-time thing."
Neither do the Blue Jackets, who host the Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday at Nationwide Arena in another important game against a rival from the Metropolitan Division. Murray will be playing that day, but not in Columbus.
He'll be in a Monsters jersey in the Windy City, continuing the next step in his recovery process by getting his game conditioning and timing back in the AHL. He's fine with that, and so is Davidson, whose earlier chat with Murray provided some welcome reassurance at a tough stage.
"I was coming back and took a few practices, and it just didn't do very well after that," Murray said. "He just told me, 'Make sure it's good.' And he's been through how many surgeries and how many injuries? To hear something like that from a guy at the top of the organization, I was just like, 'He just cares about players,' you know? He cares about the guys. So, that's what our focus was this time, and it's been very good and very encouraging. I just want to keep going with that."
If it works out this time, Murray's return could be a nice boost as the Blue Jackets hunt for a spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs heading down the stretch run in the regular season.
"It's like making a trade at the trade deadline," Davidson said. "It really is, only we're not giving up assets to make the trade."
