The Edmonton Oilers made multiple trades ahead of the NHL trade deadline, looking for that elusive Stanley Cup. They have lost in the Stanley Cup Final in consecutive years, and getting Connor McDavid his title is important. The best trade the Oilers made at the trade deadline was for Connor Murphy, who is the perfect fit for their team.
The Oilers traded a 2028 second-round pick for Murphy, who will be a free agent on July 1. The Blackhawks retained half of Murphy's $4.4 million cap hit, allowing Edmonton to take on Jason Dickinson in a second trade. Murphy could be a key piece of the Oilers for years to come if they give him an extension. Proving that he is the right fit would be the right first step.
Why should Oilers fans be optimistic about Murphy's fit on the Oilers' blueline?
Defense wins championships
Stan Bowman has three Stanley Cup rings in his trophy case from the Blackhawks' dynasty from 2010-15. He took a promising team with elite talent, Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews, and got them over the edge. Additions such as Corey Crawford, Andrew Shaw, and Nick Leddy helped them keep the momentum up throughout the run. He was brought to the Oilers to do the same thing. Murphy is the best addition he has made with that in mind.
Murphy is a defense-first defenseman, which is exactly what the Oilers need. They have one of the top offensive defensemen in the league, Evan Bouchard, while also possessing disastrous goaltending. Despite the trade they made for Tristan Jarry earlier in the year, the goaltending has not gotten better. Beefing up the defense in front of Jarry was a necessity for Bowman and the Oilers.
According to HockeyStats.com, Murphy has just a 40.2% expected goals percentage when on the ice this year. But on a dreadful Blackhawks team, it's no surprise he was getting caved in. That number should improve on the Oilers, especially in a smaller role toward the back of the lineup. The Oilers made a solid bet on a defenseman, and could be better off for it.
Connor Murphy does not hamper Oilers' salary cap
The Oilers are trying to balance one of the most delicate salary cap situations in the league right now. McDavid signed a two-year extension that starts next season and puts a hard date on their Stanley Cup window. So, even though they are a great team with great players, they are racing against the clock.
Murphy's contract expires after this season, so they could bring him back on a team-friendly contract in the offseason. Or they could allow Murphy to hit free agency and try to replace the defenseman with other free agents or internal options. The cap flexibility is important to the Oilers, and they got that with this Murphy move.
Reports surfaced after the trade deadline that the Oilers were considering a Darnell Nurse move. His $9.5 million cap hit has hampered their defensive unit for years. If Murphy does turn out to be a great fit, the Oilers would be wise to get off the Nurse contract. That could be the answer as to how the Oilers improve their back end, open up some cap space, and get some draft picks back in the process.
Because of their all-gas-no-brake roster approach in recent years, the Oilers have just four picks in the upcoming draft. They traded another first-rounder to the Blackhawks this year in the Dickinson trade. Every move they make takes away even more draft picks, so Murphy has to be the right fit.
The Oilers are back in action on Thursday against the Dallas Stars.
