Oilers 2026-27 Player Previews: Connor Murphy

The start of the 2026-27 season is fast approaching, so let’s continue our Edmonton Oilers player preview series. The first player was Evan Bouchard, and now we turn our attention to another defenceman who’s entering his first full season with the Oilers.

The Oilers acquired Connor Murphy ahead of the 2026 Trade Deadline as a pending unrestricted free agent (UFA). Edmonton desperately needed a reliable top-four defenceman who was tough to play against. He filled a glaring hole. As a result, the Oilers inked him to a five-year contract with a $4.1 million cap hit. While that’s a lot of term for a 33-year-old defenceman, the cap hit is extremely reasonable, especially considering the continually rising salary cap. Even if he regresses down the road, his salary will become third-pairing money over time.

That regression shouldn’t be imminent, and the veteran blueliner should still have a few solid years remaining. He’s a defensively responsible, two-way defenceman who can handle difficult matchups and log big minutes. Let’s take a look at his upcoming season and what fans should expect.

Murphy Won’t Light Up the Scoreboard

Unlike Bouchard, you can’t evaluate Murphy by what he produces on the stat sheet. He’s not an offensive juggernaut, but that’s not his job. He recorded five goals and 17 points in 80 games last season between the Oilers and the Chicago Blackhawks, and had one goal and four points in 20 games since the trade. He also added one goal and three points in six playoff games, which was great production, but unsustainable.

Murphy does things that go unnoticed. Before the trade, he was an integral part of the Blackhawks’ number-one-ranked penalty kill. The Oilers’ penalty kill was lacklustre, so Murphy was brought in to stabilize that unit. On March 6, the Oilers had the 26th-ranked penalty kill at 76.7 percent. But since Murphy was integrated into the lineup, the Oilers moved up to 18th at 81.6 percent. He logged 217:38 of shorthanded ice time last season.

Coming into this season, the penalty kill should look vastly different. They have a new head coach in Mike Babcock and also hired D.J. Smith as an associate coach to oversee the penalty kill. Mark Stuart was previously running their struggling penalty kill, but he’s gone, so expect improvement. Murphy will be a key member of that unit and should be more comfortable with this team. It’s hard coming into a new environment, but having a full season with this group will be beneficial.

Best Case Scenario

Somewhere between five to eight goals and roughly 25 points would be a solid offensive season from him. But his value comes on the penalty kill. If Edmonton can be a consistently top-10 penalty-killing team, that would be fantastic. A successful penalty kill will go a long way in ensuring a successful season for him and the organization.

Statistics that should reflect a good season are hits and blocks. He had 90 hits and 148 blocked shots last season. The right-shot blueliner led the Blackhawks with 5.25 blocks per 60 minutes. He also led the Oilers with 7.48 blocks per 60 minutes with a minimum of 20 games played. If he can get 125 hits and add another 160 blocked shots, while staying in the top four, that should be viewed as a successful campaign.

Worst Case Scenario

Murphy is a dependable player who doesn’t have a high ceiling, but has a safe floor. So, what would be a bad season for him? Offensively, two goals and 12 points would be a terrible season, and more should be expected. While penalty killing is a team statistic, if the Oilers remain a bottom-10 penalty killing unit, that’s unacceptable. Murphy should take a lot of blame for that.

Even at his worst, he’s still a solid defenceman. There’s not a huge gap between his best and his worst. He’s a steady presence, and if you don’t notice him on the ice, then he’s likely doing his job. He’s the type of player who can quietly be a key contributor.

Keep following The Hockey Writers as we continue the player previews in preparation for this upcoming season.

Advanced stats courtesy of Natural Stat Trick.