Blackhawks News
TRADE: Blackhawks Make First Deadline Deal, Murphy Dealt To Oilers
And so it begins. The Chicago Blackhawks have made their first move as sellers ahead of Friday’s 2026 NHL trade deadline, sending veteran defenseman Connor Murphy to the Edmonton Oilers on Monday afternoon.
According to NHL insider Frank Seravalli, the Blackhawks retained half of Murphy’s $4.4 million cap hit on his expiring contract and received a 2028 second-round pick in return from Edmonton. The trade call is not expected to be made official until Monday night.
Murphy, 32, was the longest-tenured member of the Blackhawks before the trade, as he was acquired from the Arizona Coyotes in June 2017, along with Laurent Dauphin, in exchange for three-time Stanley Cup champion Niklas Hjalmarsson. Over the last nine seasons, Murphy played in 547 games for the Blackhawks, which is 33rd-most in franchise history.
While he never got a chance to play in a real Stanley Cup postseason with Chicago, as his only career playoff experience came in the 2020 COVID bubble, Murphy will leave a lasting impression on the Blackhawks organization and much of its fanbase. He played a selfless role for a struggling team for nearly a full decade, and he never complained. He consistently stood up for his teammates. He always gave a full effort. He was a consummate professional and a tremendous leader day in and day out.
Additionally, Murphy was the Blackhawks’ King Clancy Trophy nominee in each of the past five seasons. The award is annually given to “the player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution in the community.” That was always Murphy, from visiting local hospitals to spending time with the youth teams across the city, and much more. He will be missed by many.
Of course, the same general manager that pried Murphy away from Arizona all those years ago is the same one who just landed him in Edmonton on Tuesday. Stan Bowman, who calls the shots in the Oilers’ front office, always enjoyed re-acquiring players during his time with Chicago. It appears he still holds that same affinity in his new gig.
Over the last 48 hours, Bowman has been clearing up cap space to make a few moves ahead of this year’s deadline. Andrew Mangiapane and Alec Regula, another former Blackhawk when Bowman was around, were placed on waivers on Sunday, and Mattias Janmark, again, another former Blackhawk, was placed on long-term injured reserve.
Bowman has reportedly been looking for more support on defense recently, particularly on the right-hand side behind Evan Bouchard. Murphy, who’s 6-foot-4 and has been a key piece of the Blackhawks’ top-ranked penalty kill this season, will certainly provide help for Edmonton in their own end. He’ll likely play alongside Darnell Nurse on the second pairing.
For the Blackhawks and GM Kyle Davidson, netting a second-round pick for Murphy feels about as quality a return as possible, especially considering how many right-handed defensemen are available on the market. A third-round selection always seemed most likely, but Davidson managed to maximize his value.
Davidson also made a savvy move by acquiring Edmonton’s 2028 second-round pick, instead of adding another 2026 draft choice. The Blackhawks already have three second-round picks in the 2026 NHL Draft, and they have another two in the second round in 2027. Now, they have another two stashed away for 2028.
With Murphy now out of the picture, the Blackhawks are left with Louis Crevier, Sam Rinzel, and Artyom Levshunov as their right-handed defensemen for the final 22 games of the 2025-26 regular season. Matt Grzelcyk is also now the only defenseman on the roster who’s older than 24.
The Blackhawks will roll out an extremely young blue line for the final quarter of the campaign, but that’s been done by design. With the playoffs out of reach, the priority is to give the up-and-coming players/prospects more of an opportunity. It will be fascinating to see how the defense holds up over the finishing stretch without Murphy, who’s been a consistent defensive anchor.
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