NHL Rumors: Blackhawks Defenseman Becoming Trade Candidate

With the Chicago Blackhawks rebuilding, pending UFAs like Patrick Kane, Max Domi, and Jonathan Toews are already being discussed heavily in the rumor mill. However, another player who we should also pay attention to as we get closer to the deadline is Connor Murphy.

Under previous management, the Blackhawks signed Murphy to a four-year, $17.6 million contract extension during last season. This was before GM Kyle Davidson took over and started Chicago's full-on rebuild, so there certainly is a chance that we will see the 29-year-old defenseman shopped. He has a good amount of trade value because he is a top-four defenseman who is extremely reliable defensively. With that, he is right-shot and 6-foot-4. These are the kinds of players that GMs around the league love.

Murphy has a 10-team no-trade list, so the Blackhawks would have some obstacles to work around in a potential move. However, expect to see the tear-down continue and Murphy to be dealt in the near future.