Discussions are becoming more serious as the Oilers approach a deal to acquire Blackhawks defenseman Connor Murphy.
And off we set.
Trade Talks Heat Up
Discussions have ramped up between the Edmonton Oilers and Chicago Blackhawks regarding a potential trade involving defenseman Connor Murphy, as reported by Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman on Monday.
Murphy, 32, has played in 60 matches this season for the Blackhawks, netting four goals and accumulating 13 points, having dedicated the last nine years to the Windy City. He’s a player that Oilers general manager Stan Bowman is quite familiar with, as he was the one who acquired Murphy for Chicago in a June 2017 trade with the Arizona Coyotes, in exchange for Niklas Hjalmarsson.
The 6-foot-4, 212-pound right-handed defenceman is recognized for his strong defensive skills, making him a challenging opponent, despite lacking significant offensive contributions. His performance in Chicago this season illustrates this, as he generates offense at a rate seven percent below the league average, while delivering defensive value at a rate seven percent above the league average, according to HockeyViz, which assesses his overall impact as that of a low-end second-pair defenceman.
Murphy’s Season Performance
Connor Murphy is entering the last year of a four-year contract valued at $4.4 million AAV and has a no-trade clause that includes ten teams.
Although he has been somewhat overlooked on the depth chart, averaging the least amount of five-on-five minutes per game among Blackhawks defensemen, he is the team leader in penalty kill minutes. As of Tuesday’s games, Chicago’s penalty kill is ranked first in the league with an 85.7 percent success rate. Murphy’s contributions in this area are at an average league level, according to HockeyViz.
To finalize a trade, considerable salary-cap maneuvering will be necessary to align the finances. As reported by Puckpedia, the Oilers currently have just below $11,000 in salary cap space as of Monday, following the assignment of Andrew Mangiapane and Alec Regula to the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors, the recall of Josh Samanski and Isaac Howard, and the placement of Mattias Janmark on long-term injured reserve.
Oilers’ Interest in Defenseman
The Blackhawks currently possess an impressive $53 million in salary cap space, allowing them the flexibility to either retain some of Connor Murphy’s salary or potentially acquire Mangiapane in a trade, which is a feasible option for the team.
Zach Laing serves as the managing editor for Oilersnation and is the news director for The Nation Network. Additionally, he co-hosts the Daily Faceoff DFS Hockey Report. You can find him on X at @zjlaing or contact him via email at [email protected].
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