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The Dallas Stars are in the midst of a quest for what would be their first Stanley Cup championship since the franchise's only title to date, which was won in 1999. The image of Brett Hull's controversial Cup-winning goal not only lives in Dallas sports lore, but continues to haunt the dreams of Buffalo Sabres fans everywhere, even a quarter of a century later.
But it's a new day, and this year's version of the Stars have as good a chance as any to be the last team standing when the Stanley Cup Playoffs are all said and done.
Looking ahead to next season, could the Stars consider poaching one of the better defensemen from a basement-dwelling Western Conference team? Stars general manager Jim Nill has shown that he's willing to do whatever it takes to give his club an edge over the competition, which included this season's blockbuster acquisition of former Avalanche star forward Mikko Rantanen after his brief tenure with the Carolina Hurricanes.
The Stars could consider acquiring defenseman Connor Murphy from the struggling Chicago Blackhawks, who didn't come close to earning a postseason spot and finished in second-to-last place in the West at 25-46-11, ahead of only the San Jose Sharks.
How could the Dallas Stars use Connor Murphy?
Murphy would be a key addition to the Stars during the offseason, as suggested by Michael DeRosa of NHL Trade Rumors.
“The Stars could use a boost on the right side of their defense, so they could also be a team that makes a push for Murphy this offseason,” DeRosa wrote. “He could be a fit on their either their second or third pairing if acquired. In addition, he would be an obvious choice for their penalty kill, given his defense-first style of play.”
In addition to the Stars, DeRosa also suggested Murphy could draw interest from the Winnipeg Jets and Edmonton Oilers.
Murphy has one year remaining with a $4.4 million cap hit on his current contract that expires following the 2025-26 NHL season.
Connor Murphy could be a key addition to Stars blue line
The Stars may be forced to make some changes to their blue line during the offseason, as both Cody Ceci (who was acquired via trade with the Sharks earlier this season) and Brendan Smith, signed as a free-agent last offseason, are set to become unrestricted free agents when the calendar hits July 1.
Ceci is likely to have more lucrative offers than Smith, who is 36 years of age. While the Stars likely wouldn't mind extending Ceci with a new contract, there's also the possibility that he chooses to test the market in order to maximize his earnings.
As stated by NHL Trade Rumors, Murphy could pair nicely on the second or third defensive pairing and would also bring a boost to their penalty killing.
A native of Boston, MA, Murphy was selected with the 20th overall pick by the Phoenix Coyotes in the 2011 NHL Draft and played the first several years of his professional career with the organization.
He's been a mainstay on the Blackhawks since being acquired as part of the Niklas Hjalmarsson trade on June 23, 2017; he was sent by the Coyotes to the Blackhawks along with minor-league forward Laurent Dauphin. He struggled heavily in his first campaign with the Blackhawks, getting scratched by then-coach Joel Quenneville in three of the first 12 games and ultimately finishing with what was the lowest point total of his career.
However, he would rebound into form and was eventually nominated by the Blackhawks for the King Clancy Memorial Trophy; he was signed to a four-year, $17.6 million contract extension in 2021. At this point in his NHL career, Murphy, who has played in only nine career playoff games, would likely welcome the opportunity to play for a championship-contending squad.
He's played in 745 career NHL games for the Coyotes and Blackhawks, and has scored 43 goals and 117 assists.
