WINNIPEG, Manitoba — Nine years ago, former Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman made one of his few smart moves of the post-Stanley Cup era by acquiring Connor Murphy from the Coyotes for Niklas Hjalmarsson in a swap of defensemen.
On Monday, Bowman — now the GM of the Oilers — acquired Murphy again, putting an end to his lengthy stint with the Hawks four days before the NHL trade deadline Friday. It was an on-brand move by Bowman, who historically loved reacquiring former players.
The Hawks received a second-round draft pick in 2028 from the Oilers for Murphy, a pending free agent. They retained half his $4.4 million salary-cap hit, leaving them with one remaining retention slot this season.
A second-round pick always seemed to be the best realistic return, so Hawks GM Kyle Davidson should be pleased with that. It also makes sense for the Hawks to target years-away picks. They could use that 2028 pick, for example, as a trade chip of their own once they start contending and pivot from sellers to buyers.
Murphy had seen the writing on the wall for months. He recently admitted to feeling the allure of the playoffs, having never competed in a real postseason (only in the COVID bubble) as his 33rd birthday approaches this month.
He won’t get a cakewalk to that stage with the Oilers, but he will have a good chance to make it — especially because his presence should improve their defense, which has been a major weakness this season.
At 29-24-8, the Oilers — the back-to-back Western Conference champions — actually have lost more games than they’ve won, but they still occupy a wild-card spot (based on points percentage) at the moment.
They needed another right-handed defenseman, and Murphy will slide just below Evan Bouchard on that side of their depth chart. They’re more set on the left side with Darnell Nurse, Mattias Ekholm and Jake Walman.
For the Hawks, Murphy’s departure should allow rookies Artyom Levshunov and Sam Rinzel to stay in the NHL lineup consistently down the stretch, even when Wyatt Kaiser returns Friday from his knee injury.
Matt Grzelcyk, another pending free agent, is the Hawks’ only veteran left on defense. Next season, the eldest statesman might be Alex Vlasic, even though he won’t turn 25 until June.
Murphy boosted his value with strong performances in the last couple of months, playing his usual solid defense and building up a rare bit of offensive confidence. His ice time bottomed out in early November, then increased steadily after that.
He has stayed healthy this season after missing extended time each of the last two seasons
because of complications stemming from a groin condition.
He’s vocal about his love for Chicago and has been heavily involved in community-service initiatives, so it wouldn’t be surprising if he moved back to the city once he retires.
‘‘I’ve been here nine years, and I feel like a Blackhawk to the core,’’ Murphy said in January. ‘‘I feel like I’ve gotten so close to the staff and the city. It’s home. It’s where my wife is from. We had our kid and got married here. I’ve always envisioned how unbelievable it would be to have success in a city like this.
‘‘You want it to be forever, but you know [it won’t be] when you see the reality of other players that have been traded. I’ve prepared myself over the last years of knowing that it is a business and that, someday, that day will come.’’
Davidson likely isn’t done with moves for the week. Forwards Jason Dickinson and Ilya Mikheyev remain on the block, and captain Nick Foligno still might decide to chase one more playoff run.
All three of those players are pending free agents, too, and the Hawks have to free up roster spots for forward prospects, as well.
Blashill continues to believe in Burakovsky and keep him cemented on the first line, but Burakovsky’s belief in himself has wavered more amid a long slump.
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The Hawks’ defensive growth during their road trip helped backup goalie Arvid Soderblom earn his first career shutout in a 4-0 win Sunday.
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Bedard scored the Hawks’ lone goal in a 3-1 loss Saturday against the Avalanche, getting little help from his teammates.
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