Oilers acquire Connor Murphy in trade with Blackhawks
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The Edmonton Oilers on Monday traded for Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Connor Murphy in exchange for a 2028 second-round pick.
As part of the deal, the Blackhawks will retain 50% of Murphy’s salary. The 32-year-old, who has four goals and 13 points in 60 games, is in the final season of a four-year contract worth $4.4 million annually.
The trade for Murphy marks the latest step the Oilers have taken to address a defensive structure that has struggled during what is expected to be a tight playoff race. The two-time defending Western Conference champions entered Monday third in the Pacific Division but with only a one-point lead over the Seattle Kraken, who currently occupy the second and final wild-card spot in the West.
Murphy gives Edmonton a 6-foot-4 option on the back end who was playing top-four minutes for the Blackhawks, with the idea he could do the same for the Oilers.
Getting Murphy also gives the Oilers another defenseman they can use on a penalty kill that has struggled. Murphy has logged 117:16 in short-handed ice time this season and has been instrumental in the Blackhawks having the No. 1 penalty kill in the NHL.
The Oilers, meanwhile, rank 26th out of 32 teams with a 76.9% success rate.
Edmonton has lost five of its past six games, allowing 5.4 goals in each of those defeats since Jan. 31.
It adds to what has been a complex situation with the Oilers’ defensive dynamic. Natural Stat Trick’s data shows the Oilers came into Monday allowing the sixth-fewest shots per 60 minutes, but the 10th-most scoring chances. That has led to them allowing the seventh-most goals per game at 3.33.
Earlier this season, the Oilers acquired goaltender Tristan Jarry in a trade with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Jarry has gone 6-4-1 with a 3.85 goals-against average and a .864 save percentage since being traded to Edmonton.
The Oilers also made another move upon returning from the Olympic break, bringing back Hall of Fame defenseman Paul Coffey as an assistant coach. Coffey was part of the Oilers’ coaching staff in the 2023-24 season when they fired Jay Woodcroft and replaced him with Kris Knoblauch, who guided the team to the Stanley Cup final where they lost to the Florida Panthers.
Coffey, who worked with the defense as an assistant, was also on Knoblauch’s staff during the 2024-25 season before returning to his advisor and hockey operations role to begin this season.
PuckPedia projects the Oilers now have $200,000 in deadline cap space ahead of the 3 p.m. ET Friday trade deadline.
While the Blackhawks are on a better pace than last year, they are still in the midst of a rebuild with more young players expected to get playing time down the stretch. Some of Murphy’s minutes could go to 21-year-old defenseman Kevin Korchinski. Wyatt Kaiser, 23, is also expected back from injury.
Chicago could move a few other veterans before Friday’s deadline, including center Jason Dickinson and winger Ilya Mikheyev. Like Murphy, both are part of Chicago’s top-ranked penalty kill.
