With the Winter Olympics — and the three-week roster freeze — officially behind us, the focus around the NHL now shifts completely to the March 6 trade deadline.
The Edmonton Oilers are expected to be at the forefront of the action, aiming to add an impactful piece on the blueline and potentially a top-nine forward as they push to get to a third straight Stanley Cup Finals — and this time, win it. While attention has recently shifted from improving up front to shoring up the back end, one analyst believes GM Stan Bowman should look to land both in a single deal.
Former NHL GM, now TSN analyst Craig Button, suggested that the Oilers go to the Chicago Blackhawks in an attempt to kill two birds with one stone, specifically targeting defenseman Connor Murphy and center Jason Dickinson.
Button said, h/t Jim Matheson:
“For me, all day long, I would take Connor Murphy on defense. He’s the right-shot guy who could play with Nurse. And while they’re at it, could the Oilers also ask about Hawks’ Jason Dickinson? He could be their third-line centre. Those two things ideally would be on their wish list… Again for me, I’d go after Murphy. Right-shot, smart, stable, he could settle things down for Nurse. Darnell needs as much stability around him as anything and Murphy provides that and more,”
The 32-year-old Murphy is a pending UFA in the fourth and final season of the four-year, $17.6 million extension signed with the Blackhawks in 2021, while Dickinson, 30, is also a pending UFA in year two of the two-year, $8.5 million extension he signed to stay in Chicago in 2024.
It should be noted that Bowman was the one who acquired Murphy from the then-Arizona Coyotes in 2017 and subsequently signed him to that extension during his tenure as GM of the Blackhawks.
Murphy has tallied 12 points (four goals, eight assists), 55 hits, and 84 blocks across 57 games this season. Dickinson, on the other hand, has produced 13 points (six goals, seven assists) in 43 games played.
Murphy Oilers Trade
Acquiring both Murphy and Dickinson in the same trade would be a solid move for Edmonton. That said, Bowman has often preferred targeting players with term over rentals, so if the price to land two veterans on expiring contracts is too high, the Oilers might shy away.
That said, finding impactful, non-rental pieces on the market at the trade deadline is far more difficult, so such a deal with Chicago shouldn’t be ruled out — especially given how well these two players address Edmonton’s current needs. Not to mention, the Oilers could always look to extend one or both if they prove to be a strong fit for the team down the stretch.
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