Oilers' Connor Murphy gets $4.4 million contract update after trade

Oilers' Connor Murphy gets $4.4 million contract update after trade originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Edmonton Oilers didn't take advantage of picking up Connor Murphy at the NHL trade deadline from the Chicago Blackhawks.

It wasn't Murphy's fault, though -- he was a quality acquisition.

The reason Murphy was available in the first place was that he was on an expiring contract. He's heading for free agency now.

The Oilers will have to decide whether Murphy is a guy they bring back. Given that the rest of their defensive unit isn't up to par, Murphy seems like a key player to retain.

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It'll likely cost a decent amount. He was just earning $4.4 million this past season, and it could be similar in a new contract, too.

"Murphy opened the year looking like a complete afterthought in Chicago, barely getting 14 minutes a night, to the point I surmised GM Kyle Davidson had missed the selling window," . "But Murphy found a groove working on the NHL’s top-ranked penalty kill unit, his minutes rose, and he wound up garnering a second-round pick in a trade to Edmonton. Murphy immediately stepped into top-four minutes with the Oilers and suddenly looks like a player who could match his previous AAV on his next deal, even at 33. He brings size, veteran leadership and right handedness, after all."