Analyst: This 6'4 Defenseman Could Be The Ideal Upgrade For The Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are on the hunt for defensive upgrades, and one name that keeps popping up is Connor Murphy of the Chicago Blackhawks.
At 6’4” with a right-handed shot, Murphy brings exactly what the Leafs need: size, toughness, and a reliable defensive presence. Let’s break down why he’s such a great fit.
What Murphy brings to the table
Murphy, 31, is a stay-at-home defenseman known for his defensive consistency. This season, Murphy has tallied 1 goal and 12 assists in 42 games, but his real impact shows in his 100 blocked shots and 72 hits for the Blackhawks.
Over his 12-year career, he’s recorded 42 goals and 112 assists in 719 games, but his defensive contributions stand out even more—1,414 blocks and 1,527 hits, averaging 161 blocks and 174 hits per season. That’s the kind of gritty, reliable play the Maple Leafs could use.
Why Murphy would be the ideal fit
Leafs Nation contributor and NHL analyst Shane Seney believes that Murphy’s size, defensive reliability, and right-handed shot make him an ideal fit to address Toronto’s blue-line needs:
Murphy has great size at 6-foot-4, 212 pounds, and it feels like if he ends up in Toronto, a big reason why is because Davidson was open to retaining salary, which he's done multiple times in the past, including $4.6 million of Rantanen's contract, and he's never played a game in Chicago.
Murphy is a keep-it-simple type of defenseman, and with over 700 games of NHL experience, is quite predictable as far as knowing what you're getting on a nightly basis.
There's not much flashy to his game, which could appeal to Treliving, Berube and company. Like most trades, it's just going to come down to asking price, and how much salary Davidson is willing to eat.
Well, if the Maple Leafs can work out salary retention in a trade, Murphy’s $4.4 million cap hit will become far more manageable. While he’d likely come at a higher cost than other Chicago targets, such as Ryan Donato, bundling both players into a deal could give the Leafs a major upgrade without stretching their budget.
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