The NHL had a big trade happen on Jan. 18, as the Vegas Golden Knights acquired defenseman Rasmus Andersson from the Calgary Flames. This was after Andersson was one of the NHL’s top trade candidates for multiple months.
Now, with Andersson getting traded, could it lead to more teams keeping an eye on Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Connor Murphy? It certainly seems possible.
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Andersson was the top right-shot defenseman available on the trade market and naturally had a lot of suitors because of it. Yet, now that Andersson is off the board, Murphy is certainly standing out as one of the most intriguing right-shot blueliners who could get dealt by the deadline.
In addition to Murphy, other right-shot defenders who have been creating chatter in the rumor mill include Dougie Hamilton (New Jersey Devils), Justin Faulk (St. Louis Blues), Luke Schenn (Winnipeg Jets), and Andrew Peeke (Boston Bruins). With this, the market has some options, but Murphy stands out among the top ones.
It will be interesting to see if Murphy’s market starts to heat up now that a top blueliner like Andersson is off the board. When looking at teams that could make sense for Murphy as landing spots, clubs like the Toronto Maple Leafs, Dallas Stars, and Detroit Red Wings stand out.
