Host: Oilers Added Two D-Men in Connor Murphy Trade

When the Edmonton Oilers added Connor Murphy at the trade deadline from the Chicago Blackhawks, they didn’t just add one defenseman. Technically, on March 2, 2026, the Oilers acquired the veteran at 50% salary retention from the Blackhawks in exchange for a 2028 second-round draft pick. In reality, Edmonton got a whole lot more.

A 32-year-old right-shot, stay-at-home defender, he was brought in to help stabilize things and help with the penalty-killing. He was meant to offer reliable depth. The Oilers were hoping he’d have a solid impact on his playing partner, but what’s actually happening is akin to Edmonton landing two defensemen in one trade.

Darnell Nurse has been a different player since Murphy’s arrival. He’s more confident, willing to simplify and play his game. Like what happened to Evan Bouchard when Mattias Ekholm arrived in a trade from Nashville, Nurse has elevated his play to an entirely different level with Murphy as his partner.

Alone, Murphy has been all Edmonton could have wanted and more. He’s gritty, steady, blocks shots, leads by example, and calms things down. However, his impact on Nurse may be even more impressive.

Nurse Is Becoming More Reliable Defensively

Nurse spoke a couple of weeks ago and said he wasn’t happy with his game. There’s still some space to improve, as the blueliner is a plus-minus of -15 on the season. It’s not ideal. However, he’s a plus two over the last five games. He’s got no points, but he’s less worried about offensive production and more concerned with giving the team solid minutes. He’s averaging 22:50 per night over that span and he’s become much less of a liability.

The Oilers will take it.