Two days after the Edmonton Oilers acquired defenseman Connor Murphy from the Chicago Blackhawks for a 2028 second-round pick, the 32-year-old veteran arrived in the city, received warm welcomes from stars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, practiced with the team and is slated to debut Friday against the Carolina Hurricanes.
Following Monday's trade—detailed in our initial coverage—Connor Murphy waived his no-trade clause to join the contending Oilers, a team he prioritized. "It was a whirlwind of emotions, a lot of excitement," Murphy said. "Edmonton has been a top team that I’ve had my sights set on... to be here is definitely surreal."
Murphy landed in Edmonton late Tuesday and got FaceTime greetings from McDavid, Draisaitl, Jack Roslovic, plus shoutouts to his wife Kristina and 1.5-year-old son Tucker. He missed the Oilers' 5-4 overtime win over Ottawa that night but addressed media during the first intermission, emphasizing his defensive role. Murphy joined his first practice Wednesday at Rogers Place ahead of Friday's matchup.
Captain McDavid endorsed the pickup: "Not fun to play against, which is a good sign. Just a solid player, and I think he can really help for sure." GM Stan Bowman, who signed Murphy in Chicago, highlighted the win-now push before the March 7 deadline. With Edmonton at 29-24-8 (66 points, second wild card in West after back-to-back Cup Final losses), Murphy brings elite defense: 2.47 goals against per hour at 5v5, leading Chicago's top penalty kill with 177:17 shorthanded time, 87 blocked shots, and 2:57 shorthanded TOI/game.
"[Defending] is kind of all I've done," Murphy said. "My career has been a lot of penalty killing and defensive zone time... that's where I'm comfortable." He enters the final year of his contract, poised for UFA status post-season.