Breaking: Oilers Acquire Connor Murphy From Blackhawks

With four days until the March 6 trade deadline, Stan Bowman and the Edmonton Oilers have gotten some important business done early.

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According to Sportsnet insider Elliotte Friedman, the Oilers are acquiring veteran right-shot defenseman Connor Murphy from the Chicago Blackhawks. Friedman was first to break the news that talks were heating up on Monday afternoon on X (formerly Twitter)

Friedman wrote:

“Hearing talks are intensifying for Edmonton to acquire Connor Murphy from Chicago,”

Marc Spector has since reported that Edmonton will be sending a second-round pick in 2028 to Chicago, who will retain 50 percent of Murphy’s $4.4 million salary, bringing him down to a very reasonable $2.2 million cap hit.

Insider Frank Seravalli says the official trade call is not expected to be completed until later Monday night, but that there should be no issues as the deal has been agreed upon.

The 32-year-old Murphy is a pending UFA in the fourth and final year of the four-year, $17.6 million extension signed with the Blackhawks in 2021. He’s tallied 13 points (four goals, nine assists), 62 hits, and 87 blocks through 60 games played this season.

Connor Murphy to the Oilers

Bowman is very familiar with Murphy, having notably acquired him from the then-Arizona Coyotes in 2017 before signing him to said extension during his time as GM in Chicago.

Edmonton’s number one priority had been to land an impactful defenseman, preferably a right-shot, and that’s exactly what they’ve acquired. Murphy is known for his physicality and defensive game as a whole, which will be a welcomed adddition to a struggling blue line. Despite being a veteran of over 800 NHL games, he’s actually only played in nine career playoff games, all of which having come in the bubble during the 2019-20 campaign, so he’ll be itching to get a taste of real postseason hockey.

Given the relatively low cost to land Murphy at 50 percent retention, the door remains open for Bowman and the Oilers to continue to be active in hopes of further improving the roster ahead of the deadline.

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