Despite not playing on Wednesday, he couldn’t be more excited to finally be in Edmonton – but this time to stay – after his longest stop in the city came during the COVID bubble.
“Edmonton has been a top team that I’ve had my sights set on since I knew something might happen,” he said. “Just to be here is definitely surreal. Definitely a lot of excitement to get started.”
Now, it’s time to put those defensive skills to the test and make the most of his opportunity for an Oilers team that’s focused on reducing its goals against, improving its penalty kill, and pushing for the playoffs for another chance at competing for the Stanley Cup.
Edmonton’s new number five fits that mould perfectly after registering a 2.47 goals against per hour at five-on-five with him on the ice while leading all Chicago defenders in blocked shots (87) and total PK TOI (177:17) for their top-ranked penalty kill this season.
“[Defending] is kind of all I’ve done,” Murphy said. “My career has been a lot of penalty killing and defensive zone time; not intentionally being in the D zone a lot, but that’s where I’m comfortable using more of my defending and using my instincts.
“I’ve settled into that role for a few years now and have been really comfortable doing it, and I think that’s any team’s goal is to defend hard. It’s a team game to check and to give that mentality on your own end, but it’s definitely something I take pride in.”
Having played nine NHL seasons with the Arizona Coyotes and Chicago Blackhawks, Murphy has played only nine playoff games that include an upset win over the Oilers during the bubble in 2020, but he’s eager at this stage of his career to chase titles, and Edmonton’s a perfect fit for his abilities.
“At this point in my career, winning is a top priority, and I’ve had a lot of opportunity given to me being on losing teams in the past when I came up with Arizona and a few years with Chicago, getting more ice time that way and feeling comfortable with my role,” he said. “Now, I really just want to play meaningful games, and with that comes pressure.”
