Insiders pick Blackhawks veteran blueliner as trade target for 2 Cup contenders

The Chicago Blackhawks could be active on the trade market this season, but likely as sellers. Chicago’s decent start to the season seems like a distant memory now. As such, the club could be poised to move out veteran pieces as it continues to hoard valuable futures.

One veteran piece who could be out of the picture soon is Connor Murphy. The 32-year-old could become a victim of a squeeze play as younger blueliners gobble up more playing time. That situation has prompted two notable insiders to single out Murphy as a potential piece that two Stanley Cup contenders could look to fill voids in their bluelines.

Nevertheless, there is one other key reason why the Blackhawks could be willing to move Murphy this season.

Pierre LeBrun: Florida Panthers

In a December 26 piece in The Athletic, insider Pierre LeBrun picked the Florida Panthers as a destination for Connor Murphy. In what is looking to become an annual ritual, the Cats could be looking to make a deal for a Blackhawks defenseman.

LeBrun wrote:

“The Jeff Petry flyer for $775,000 hasn’t turned out as good as hoped in South Florida, and my sense is the two-time Stanley Cup champs will try to upgrade on the right side of their third pairing. Murphy, 32, is a pending unrestricted free agent and fits the bill.”

While LeBrun pointed out that Murphy’s $4.4 million cap hit would be challenging for the Panthers to fit under their cap structure, the Blackhawks have a powerful reason to send him to a Cup contender:

“I also think the Blackhawks will want to do right by Murphy, who has long been respected in that room. He’s only played nine career playoff games and they were in the Edmonton pandemic bubble in 2020, so he hasn’t experienced a traditional playoff run with fans. Joining the Cup champs would be perfect.”

In that event, Murphy could get an opportunity to play for a championship. Who knows, he could become a mainstay in Florida beyond this season.

Chris Johnston: Vegas Golden Knights

Meanwhile, Chris Johnston believes the Vegas Golden Knights could be a destination for the Blackhawks veteran. He expounded on his thoughts:

“The Blackhawks could certainly do right by Murphy by sending him to an organization that’s always aggressively chasing the Stanley Cup. The Golden Knights still haven’t replaced the hole left on the right side of their blue line left by Alex Pietrangelo’s injury and would be looking at a more reasonable acquisition cost by chasing Murphy rather than Calgary’s Rasmus Andersson.”

It seems that if the Golden Knights can’t land their intended target, Rasmus Andersson, from the Calgary Flames, they could pivot to Murphy. Dealing Murphy could work out for all sides involved. So, it remains to be seen if the Golden Knights could be spurred into making this deal happen.

Neither insider went into what the Blackhawks could receive in return for Murphy. But it seems the sentiment here is to give Murphy a shot at a Cup, something that may still be years away in Chicago.