Edmonton Oilers general manager Stan Bowman made the first trade of his deadline season. He has reportedly made a deal with his former club, the Chicago Blackhawks to acquire veteran defenceman, Connor Murphy according to multiple NHL insiders.
Elliotte Friedman was first to report on X (formerly Twitter) that "talks are intensifying for Edmonton to acquire Connor Murphy from Chicago."
Hearing talks are intensifying for Edmonton to acquire Connor Murphy from Chicago.
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) March 2, 2026
If the trade is finalized, the move comes after the Oilers have been reportedly searching for a top-four defenceman who can play the right side. Recent reports suggested that the club may be pursuing veterans Justin Faulk or Oliver Ekman-Larsson but that is likely not the case with Murphy set to join Edmonton.
Oilers set to acquire Connor Murphy
Shortly after the initial reporting, the trade was reported on with multiple insiders confirming the full trade with the official announcement expected to come later Monday night. That being that the Oilers were acquiring Connor Murphy at 50 percent retained for a 2028 second round draft pick.
Trade call is not expected to be formally completed until later tonight, but EDM and CHI have agreed upon:
— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) March 2, 2026
To #LetsGoOilers:
D Connor Murphy (50% retained)
To #Blackhawks:
2028 EDM 2nd Round Pick
So, who is the newest Oilers defenceman?
Murphy is a 32 year old right-handed defenceman currently in the final year of a four-year contract carrying a $4.4 million annual average value. However, with the retention his contract goes down to just $2.2 million against the Oilers cap.
Murphy has been regarded as one of the top pure shutdown blueliners in the NHL for years. He possesses good size at 6'4 and 212lbs and has logged over 800 career NHL games between the Blackhawks and former Arizona Coyotes. He does not produce much in the way of offence, having amassed only 47 goals and 173 points over his 805 NHL game career with a single season career high of 19 points.
According to analytics website evolving-hockey.com, Murphy ranks 22nd in defensive GAR over the past three seasons, putting him amongst fairly elite company for his defensive acumen. He will surely help solidify the Oilers blueline that has resulted in the club ranking poorly in most defensive metrics this season. He also fits the bill as a top-four defenceman that the Oilers have reportedly been targeting.
There are concerns regarding his health as Murphy has suffered from a similar groin injury that ended the career of former San Jose Sharks captain Logan Couture. However, given the relatively low cost of a single second round pick and with no commitment beyond this season, there is very little risk to the move.