It’s been a slow-building trade deadline since the NHL returned to action from the Olympics last week. The only notable trade so far has been the Colorado Avalanche acquiring Brett Kulak in exchange for Samuel Girard and a draft pick. But perhaps that’s about to change because earlier this afternoon, the Edmonton Oilers announced they had acquired defenseman Connor Murphy from the Chicago Blackhawks. Here are the full details:
Oilers receive:
- Murphy (50 percent retained)
Blackhawks receive:
TSN’s Ryan Rishaug confirmed that the second-round pick going to the Blackhawks will be in the 2028 NHL Draft. As for the trade itself, the Oilers get a sorely needed defensive upgrade, and the Blackhawks add a valuable draft pick to an already stocked cupboard of draft capital.
Oilers’ Struggling Defense Needed an Upgrade
It’s been a rollercoaster of a season for the Oilers, and their defense is partly to blame. They’re allowing 2.69 expected goals per 60 minutes at five-on-five, ranked 18th in the NHL. Their penalty kill has also struggled, as they’re giving up 9.63 expected goals per 60, a bottom-10 rate in the NHL.
Murphy should help the Oilers improve their five-on-five defense and their penalty kill. He’s a stout defensive defenseman and has the track record to back it up. Even though the Blackhawks have been far from the best defensive team this season (and over the last few years), he’s been one of the more underrated defensive defensemen in the NHL.
Murphy has been one of the Blackhawks’ best shot suppressors this season, allowing just 2.37 expected goals per 60 minutes at five-on-five. He’s a stout rush defender and excels in one-on-one battles along the walls. He’s also had some success defending the forecheck and retrieving pucks on dump-ins from opposing teams. Aside from his five-on-five play, he will help improve the Oilers’ penalty kill, which will need to be on its game during the playoffs.
If there’s a downside to Murphy’s game, it’s that he does not provide much offense, if any at all. He’s not much of a shooter, and he’s not a particularly great passer in the offensive zone. However, he does make a good breakout pass, which is another reason why he’s posted great defensive numbers over the last few seasons. He rarely gets hemmed in the defensive zone.
Related: Oilers Acquire Connor Murphy From Blackhawks for 2nd Round Pick
The Oilers did not give up much to acquire Murphy, even though the Blackhawks are retaining 50 percent of his $4.4 million cap hit for the rest of the season. They sorely need a defensive upgrade, and he should fit into their top four without much trouble. Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch should have no problem giving him some of the more difficult defensive assignments, which should free up Evan Bouchard to thrive offensively.
Oilers Grade: B+
Blackhawks Get Fair Value
The Blackhawks are progressing in their rebuild. Connor Bedard has made massive strides in his development this season, and other young players are starting to make an impact at the pro level. But even though that’s the case, they’re still very much sellers. With Murphy set for free agency this summer, it made sense to part ways with him if there are no plans to re-sign him.
The Blackhawks have plenty of second-round picks, but what’s one more? After acquiring a 2028 second in this trade, they now have at least two second-round picks in each of the next three NHL drafts. They could use all of those in any of those drafts, but odds are that Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson will deal some of them away to add NHL talent to his roster.
There’s not much to nitpick with the Blackhawks’ perspective. A second-round pick for Murphy is fair market value, and a player of his makeup is replaceable if that’s a route they choose to go this offseason.
Blackhawks Grade: B+
Advanced stats from Natural Stat Trick, Hockey Stats
