The Chicago Blackhawks have agreed to trade defenseman Connor Murphy to the Edmonton Oilers, a league source said.
The return heading back to Chicago is not yet known.
Murphy, 32, is a pending unrestricted free agent with a $4.4 million cap hit. The right-shot has been among the NHL’s top shot-blockers in recent seasons, with 433 in 194 games over the past three seasons. He has four goals and 13 points in 60 games this season.
As a physical right-shot defenseman, Murphy was expected to have plenty of suitors before Friday’s NHL trade deadline, and Edmonton always made sense. Jake Walman had been playing on his off side on the Oilers’ second pairing, so Murphy can slot in there, likely alongside Darnell Nurse. The Oilers have the 26th-ranked penalty kill in the league, while Murphy was an anchor of Chicago’s league-leading PK, so he’ll be an immediate upgrade there.
“I can’t say enough good things about Murph,” Blackhawks coach Jeff Blashill said recently. “He’s been great. First off, he’s played really well. There was a time earlier in the year where he wasn’t given lots of minutes; he’s really had to earn it. He’s really done a good job of earning ice time on a consistent basis. He’s a huge reason why our kill has been really successful. He’s defended really well; he’s moved the puck well. He’s shown some scoring. He’s been physical, he’s fought. All those things are an important part of leadership.”
Oilers general manager Stan Bowman has a long history of reacquiring players he used to have. Bowman drew heavy criticism when he dealt away three-time Stanley Cup champion Niklas Hjalmarsson to Arizona in the summer of 2017 in exchange for Murphy, citing “cost certainty,” but it’s a trade the Blackhawks clearly won in the long run. Murphy has been a consummate pro for Chicago for nine seasons, a steady defensive presence and well-liked leader in the locker room. With his departure, 24-year-old Alex Vlasic remarkably becomes the longest-tenured Blackhawks player.
Murphy has entrenched himself in Chicago, both as a player and a member of the community. He married a local and became a pillar of the community, earning the Blackhawks’ King Clancy Trophy nomination each of the last five seasons for his charitable work. Still, he knew a trade was likely coming, given his age and contract situation. He said that watching Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews square off on New Year’s Eve as a Detroit Red Wing and Winnipeg Jet, respectively, really drove the idea home for him.
“Anytime you get toward an expiring contract, and you see what’s happened to other guys, you don’t shut it out as being impossible,” Murphy said. “You try to protect your emotions by knowing anything could happen. I’ve always looked at it that way — it’s a business, and things could happen. Knowing that, you try to enjoy what you can when you’re with your team. And hopefully, it’s longer than shorter.”
The Blackhawks were hoping to put Murphy in the best situation possible if they were to d him. They wanted to get him somewhere that wasn’t just a fringe playoff team. When he was first dealt to the Blackhawks, they were just coming off their three Stanley Cup wins, and Murphy thought he’d finally get a taste of the playoffs. He could never have imagined he was joining them at the start of their decline. Since then, the Blackhawks haven’t qualified for a traditional playoff field, only squeaking into a play-in game during the 2020 bubble playoffs.
In trading Murphy, the Blackhawks open a lineup spot for one of their young defensemen this season and beyond. The right side will likely be filled by Artyom Levshunov, Sam Rinzel and Louis Crevier, who are all 24 or younger, for the remainder of the season and potentially for years to come. Vlasic, Matt Grzelcyk and Wyatt Kaiser have consistently been the Blackhawks’ left-handed defensemen this season. Kevin Korchinski has been up from the AHL in the last few weeks and could see more NHL opportunities soon. He and Ethan Del Mastro will no longer be waiver-exempt next season and are expected to be in the NHL next season.
