Blackhawks News
REPORT: Blackhawks & Oilers Working On Trade Involving Connor Murphy
The first domino for the Chicago Blackhawks ahead of the 2026 NHL trade deadline, which is now just four days away, could be falling here soon.
According to NHL insider Elliotte Friedman, trade discussions between the Blackhawks and the Edmonton Oilers are intensifying, as the Oilers are trying to acquire 32-year-old veteran defenseman Connor Murphy.
Murphy is one of six Blackhawks veterans set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer and is widely expected to be traded before 2:00 p.m. CT on Friday, Mar. 6. He’s the longest-tenured member of the team, having been with Chicago since the 2017-18 season. After playing in both games over the weekend, Murphy passed Dirk Graham for the 33rd-most games played in franchise history with 547.
Considering Murphy’s age, his expiring contract, and the trajectory of the Blackhawks’ rebuild, it’s time for both sides to move in a different direction. Artyom Levshunov, Sam Rinzel, and Louis Crevier, all fellow right-handers, deserve more opportunities, and Murphy deserves a shot to play in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, which he’s never done in his career, aside from the 2020 COVID bubble.
The Oilers have reportedly been searching for more defensive help going into the trade deadline, and they’re pretty thin on the right-hand side behind 26-year-old Evan Bouchard. Of course, Oilers’ GM Stan Bowman is rather familiar with Murphy, as he acquired him from the then-Arizona Coyotes in June 2017, when he was still in charge of Chicago’s front office. Bowman has always had an affinity for reacquiring players, and he seems to be at it once again now with Murphy.
Murphy has a $4.4 million cap hit on his expiring deal, and the Blackhawks will likely retain half of that figure to help net a better return. The Oilers own one second-round pick and one third-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft. They also have one second-round selection in 2027. One of those three draft picks will likely come back to Chicago in exchange for Murphy.
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