Blackhawks, Oilers both get what they are looking for in Connor Murphy trade

The trade rumors have been swirling around Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Connor Murphy since last year’s trade deadline. With this being the last year of his current contract, it felt inevitable that the veteran blueliner was going to be traded as soon as the Blackhawks fell out of the playoff hunt.

This afternoon, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that trade talks between the Edmonton Oilers and the Blackhawks were intensifying. Less than two hours later, the Blackhawks made the trade official: Murphy to the Oilers with 50% salary retention for a 2028 second-round pick.

Kyle Davidson Gets His Asking Price

Heading into the stretch run before the deadline, it was widely believed that general manager Kyle Davidson was asking for a second-round pick for Murphy. Many pundits questioned if he’d be able to get that return and felt that a third-round pick was more likely. Being able to retain half of Murphy’s salary helped in getting the pick bumped up a round.

You might be wondering why Davidson got a 2028 pick instead of something sooner. Well, as I wrote while trying to predict the deadline, I was expecting any 2026 picks. The Blackhawks already have two first-round picks and three second-round picks in the upcoming draft. They have an extra second-round pick in 2027 acquired from the Vancouver Canucks in the Ilya Mikheyev trade. So, pushing this pick back to 2028 makes sense.

Davidson wants to spread out his picks to keep the pipeline flowing for years to come. You don’t want all your prospects to be NHL-ready at the same time. Eventually, Davidson will be forced into making some tough roster decisions, and having young players on their entry-level contracts ready to fill in will come in handy when the salary cap becomes an issue. Plus, there is a really good chance the Blackhawks never make this pick, as it can be used in future trades, either for immediate help or to move up in the draft.

Trading Murphy away couldn’t have been easy. He’s been such a good soldier and a locker room leader. He had to endure a ton of losing and bad hockey during his time in Chicago. To get traded right as the team starts to turn the corner has to be frustrating. But Davidson did right by Murphy by sending him to a Stanley Cup contender and putting him in a position to make a deep playoff run.

Oilers Fill a Big Need

The Oilers have lost to the Florida Panthers in each of the last two Stanley Cup Finals. Every year, we think they are just a goaltender and one more defenseman away from getting over the hump. They didn’t solve their goaltending problems by acquiring Tristan Jarry early this season, but adding Murphy to their defensive corps makes them immediately better.

The Oilers are in desperate need of a right-shot defenseman who plays a more stay-at-home role. Darnell Nurse, Evan Bouchard, and Jake Walman all like to jump in the offensive zone at the cost of their defensive responsibilities. Putting Murphy in the mix takes a ton of pressure off Mattias Ekholm and allows Walman to go back to his natural left side. Adding a key member of the NHL’s top penalty kill unit right before the postseason is never a bad idea.

Plus, Oilers general manager Stan Bowman knows exactly what he’s getting in Murphy, as he was the one who brought him to Chicago. He will fit seamlessly into the locker room and bring another veteran voice. As we know, you never have to worry about the effort from Murphy, as you get the same player each and every night.

At the end of the day, both general managers and the player got exactly what they wanted out of this trade. Personally, I hope it ends with Murphy hoisting Lord Stanley's Cup in June.