The Boston Bruins need a responsible, right-shot defenseman who can help propel the retool forward.
With Andrew Peeke named as a trade candidate on Chris Johnston’s trade board for The Athletic, if they ship out the future unrestricted free agent (UFA), they’ll need another bruiser to take his spot (from ‘NHL trade board 7.0: It’s crunch time for front offices across the continent’, The Athletic, 2/25/26). One veteran blueliner who could fit into the Bruins’ ranks without concern is Columbus, Ohio-born defenseman Connor Murphy.
Murphy, who has played for the Arizona Coyotes and Chicago Blackhawks in his NHL career, could see his time with the Blackhawks nearing an end, as general manager (GM) Kyle Davidson seeks to move out older talent in favor of players who fit their rebuild timeline.
Saving $4.4 million in cap space is a no-brainer for the Blackhawks. Given the Bruins being trade partners with the Blackhawks, it’s not difficult to see a path for this to happen.
The Blackhawks could utilize a retention spot, lessening the cap hit on the Bruins, who need to remain flexible with what little they have left. This would allow Davidson to maximize the return on Murphy, who has been with the team since the 2017-18 season.
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Are the Bruins on his 10-team, modified no-trade clause? A bubble team might not be ideal for him, considering his tenure in Chicago. But GM Don Sweeney should inquire about Murphy’s availability.
Losing Peeke means losing meaningful depth on the right, as a penalty-kill specialist, and a bottom-four player who lines up with Nikita Zadorov nightly. Peeke has the flexibility to play up and down the lineup. Will he be missed once he’s traded?
Bruins Need to Add on the Right Side of the Blue Line
The Original Six team has one true defensive stalwart in the lineup, in Charlie McAvoy. He’s proven to be the workhorse of the Bruins, but he alone cannot shoulder the burden of the right side. The depth available to the Bruins isn’t exactly the kind that wins championships, but that isn’t the point in a retool; it’s to lessen the time to contention, and Murphy could be one piece that helps them get there.
They have Peeke, Henri Jorkiharju, Victor Soderstrom, Bil Sweezey, Max Wanner, and Manson Langenbrunner. Not a real strong blue line on the right. Murphy could add some veteran leadership in place. If Sweeney deals Peeke, they’ll need someone to take up a spot on the second penalty kill unit, which the Blackhawks veteran would be a fit for.
Trading for him now, which lessens the cost of signing him to a new contract in July, depending on how much term Murphy asks for, could be a lot more than they’ve bargained for with his current cap hit.
He hasn’t played his best hockey lately, but a fresh start might help kickstart his career again, wearing the Spoked-B.
What Would Connor Murphy Cost the Bruins in a Trade?
Right-shot defensemen in the NHL have proven to be a costly commodity if they’re top-tier. Per Sportico, in 2023, the NHL is experiencing a decline in the availability of RHD. The supply of right-handed players is limited, but the demand is high, especially for defensemen.
There have been a lot of studies on how it’s statistically worse to play two left-handed defensemen together
Stathletes Inc. co-founder and data scientist Meghan Chayka.Â
Fortunately for the Bruins, Murphy has been a bottom-four player the last few years of his career. Since he is a pending UFA, Sweeney won’t be pressured to make a deal until free agency based on his performance.
He’s played a total of 802 games in the NHL, scoring 47 goals and 172 points with 1,558 hits and 1,627 blocks as a stay-at-home defenseman.
The question that remains is, what do the Bruins have to pay to acquire him from the Blackhawks? Ben Pope of The Chicago Sun-Times gave us an idea.
If the Hawks deal away a couple of those guys, they might prefer a 2027 or 2028 pick over a 2026 pick in return. The same rule might apply when they trade some young NHL and AHL players who get squeezed out by superior peers — another inevitable trend in the years ahead.
from ‘For trade purposes, Blackhawks should try to spread out draft picks to 2027 and beyond,’ Chicago Sun-Times, 12/17/2025
The Blackhawks aren’t hurting for draft assets, as they have four first-round picks in the next three drafts (2026, 2027, and 2028), but this could help add depth to their talent pool, especially if they add another third-round pick.
Murphy could become any one of those guys. Perhaps someday soon. It’s largely out of his control. But the best way to ensure he stays in Chicago at least a little longer is for the Blackhawks to keep winning. General manager Kyle Davidson really doesn’t need another third-round pick to add to his massive stockpile, so if the Blackhawks are still in the race, he’ll likely hold on to Murphy and Dickinson, both of whom are important players and alternate captains. But if the bottom falls out again, Davidson might just take the third-round pick, after all.
from ‘Blackhawks stalwart Connor Murphy has become a true Chicagoan – but for how much longer?’, The Athletic, 01/14/2026
The Bruins could bolster their right side with Murphy, who is a proven blueliner in the NHL and has shown leadership skills in Chicago’s ongoing rebuild. With three second-round picks in the next three drafts and two third-round picks, Sweeney could spend conservatively and fill a position needed in the lineup.
