Oilers Acquire Connor Murphy from Blackhawks

The Edmonton Oilers have acquired defenseman Connor Murphy from the Chicago Blackhawks for a 2028 second-round pick, retaining half of his salary. This move aims to fortify the Oilers' defense. Murphy, 33, is a reliable defender averaging 16.5 minutes of ice time and leads Chicago with 87 blocked shots. He was acquired by Chicago in 2017 and signed a four-year contract expiring June 30. The Blackhawks officially made their first notable move of trade deadline week with this deal, and other trade candidates like Jason Dickinson, Ilya Mikheyev, Nick Foligno, and Matt Grzelcyk may also be on the move.