The Chicago Blackhawks are prone to be sellers on the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline. Actually, the Blackhawks began this process by trading Taylor Hall to the Carolina Hurricanes back in late January. Chicago has various trade candidates who may very well be on the move. And while Connor Murphy is not their flashiest candidate, he may very well be a sought-after one.
Murphy is a former first-round pick of the then-Phoenix Coyotes from the 2011 NHL Draft. He made his debut throughout the 2013-14 season with the Cotoyes and played 4 seasons with the franchise. Nevertheless, he was traded to the Blackhawks in 2017 in a deal that sent three-time Stanley Cup champion Niklas Hjalmarsson to the desert.
With Chicago, Murphy steadily grew right into a consistent NHL defenseman. He has averaged nearly 20 minutes per game over the course of eight seasons with the team. And he has helped the Blackhawks make the Stanley Cup Playoffs once — throughout the COVID-shortened 2019-20 campaign.
Murphy shouldn’t be an offensive asset, but interested teams aren’t looking for this from him. What they need from the 31-year-old Boston native is his relentless defensive ability. The Blackhawks rearguard has not met a shot he shouldn’t be willing to dam. Furthermore, he’s perfectly positive with using his 6’4″ frame to deliver a crunching hit on the ice.
What’s impressive concerning the veteran is his defensive performances on bad teams. Because the 2019-20 season, Murphy has recorded a good 20 Defensive Goals Above Alternative, in response to Evolving Hockey. This places him twenty seventh within the league on this metric during that span. He also managed a 4.3 WAR during that point.
It is a shutdown defenseman who can change the sport in his own end of the ice. Contending teams will definitely desire a player like Murphy for his or her run on the Stanley Cup. And there are two teams specifically who’re excellent suits for the Blackhawks rearguard ahead of the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline.
Oilers could add Blackhawks’ Connor Murphy
The Edmonton Oilers signed John Klingberg off the free agent market before the 4 Nations tournament. Edmonton desired to add some defensive depth to its roster and Klingberg is a defenseman. Nevertheless, there is a difference between being a defenseman and playing defense.
Klingberg is a defenseman, but he doesn’t exactly play strong defense. This could be positive if he’s deployed alongside a defensively responsible partner on the blueline. Connor Murphy may very well be someone the Oilers pursue with a purpose to improve their defensive ability.
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The Blackhawks are unlikely to ask for the sun and moon for Murphy. In saying this, any trade involving the 31-year-old Boston native could come at a price. He is signed through the 2025-26 campaign, giving him a bit of additional value in the marketplace.
The Oilers are attempting to win the Stanley Cup in 2025. They got here near realizing this aim in 2024 after they faced the Florida Panthers. In the event that they wish to avoid one other loss within the Final, though, a trade for Murphy makes a ton of sense.
Blackhawks’ Connor Murphy would bolster Senators
The Ottawa Senators are making a valiant push for postseason hockey in 2024-25. That they had a fairly dreadful begin to the campaign that looked as if it would dash any postseason hopes. Nevertheless, they’ve turned things around in an enormous way over the previous few months.
That is definitely not an ideal team. As an example, the Senators could stand so as to add a scoring winger to their team before the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline. Nevertheless, one other area of need is the appropriate side of their blueline.
Connor Murphy may very well be a worthwhile defensive presence for the Senators this season. He could stabilize the team’s bottom pairing and help Ottawa of their playoff push. And since he’s signed for next season, he could help turn Ottawa right into a consistent playoff contender.
The Senators usually are not a Stanley Cup contender just like the Oilers. Nevertheless, they may still make a run within the postseason in 2025. A trade with the Blackhawks for Murphy can be a step toward realizing that possibility.
