PUBLICATION
Sam Walker
January 20, 2026Â Â (1:48 PM)
Photo credit: Mike Dinovo-Imagn Images
Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Connor Murphy is back in the rumor mill, and this time it feels a little more real than the usual background noise.
The chatter is that the market for right shot depth on the blue line is moving, and Chicago might finally have a clean lane to sell.
Murphy is 32, plays a straight defensive game, and is the kind of calm penalty-kill guy coaches trust when the score tightens.
His cap hit sits at $4.4M, and he is tagged as a UFA after this season, which screams deadline rental to the Blackhawks, who are deciding to cash out.
Connor Murphy’s trade suitors
TSN’s Pierre LeBrun has named Toronto, Dallas, Detroit, and Florida, basically every «good team that wants one more safe defender.»
Another wrinkle is that he has also shown up on a broader Blackhawks trade board that included a few other veterans, so it is not just one outlet tossing darts.
On the ice, Murphy is not here to run your man advantage, but he has chipped in 1 G and 7 A for 8 P in 49 games.
He was a 2011 first-rounder, 20th overall by the Phoenix Coyotes, and he still plays like a guy raised on defending first and talking later.
If you are the Maple Leafs, the appeal is simple: reduce chaos on your third pair and let your puck movers breathe.
If you are Dallas, it is about playoff insurance when injuries stack up and matchups get nasty below the dots.
Detroit makes sense because they are trying to climb without paying the premium for a splashy name, and a steady righty can settle a rotation fast.
Florida is the fun one; they love defenders who play mean, stay in structure, and do not panic when the forecheck is coming in hot.
For Chicago, the logic is clean: Bedard-era hockey needs more picks and more swings, and Murphy is one of the few veterans who could bring something back without losing a huge piece to the current roster.
If a deal happens, it will be a very «deadline» trade, a mid-round pick upgraded by conditions, and maybe a prospect who needs a reset.
Previously on Chicago Hockey Insider
POLL
8 HOURS AGOÂ Â Â |Â Â Â 72 ANSWERS
Confirmation of a Chicago Blackhawks Connor Murphy trade and it’s down to four teams
Should Chicago trade Connor Murphy before the deadline?