Two Chicago Defenseman Emerge As Trade Candidates

The rebuild continues for the Chicago Blackhawks, as they are one of the worst teams in the NHL this season. After trading Alex DeBrincat in the offseason, the Blackhawks will be looking to unload a handful of players at the deadline as they continue to stash draft picks and prospects for the future. While the interest and focus have been surrounded around Blackhawks legends Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews, it seems the team has been receiving trade calls on a couple of their defensemen.

The defensemen in question are Jake McCabe and Connor Murphy. This is no surprise, as the Blackhawks seem open for business on just about every player. They have even discussed moving on from All-Star Seth Jones earlier this season as the Ottawa Senators were interested. While McCabe and Murphy are no All-Star, they would certainly check some boxes for teams as they are both 29 years old and have term left on their deals.

McCabe is a left-shot defenseman signed through the 2024-25 season and carries a $4 million cap hit. On the season, he has recorded 14 points in 46 games and is on pace to set a new career high in goals, assists, and points. He is known for his physical play but can also chip in a little offense. McCabe does have a modified no-trade clause that covers seven teams.

Murphy is a right-shot defenseman signed through the 2025-26 season at $4.4 million per season. The former 20th overall pick in the 2011 NHL Draft is not known for his offensive ability, as he has only recorded seven points on the season through 49 games. Just like McCabe, Murphy also has a modified no-trade clause but his covers ten teams.

It seems serval defensemen-needy teams are eyeing these two as, according to Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff, the Edmonton Oilers, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Los Angeles Kings are interested.

It’s a situation worth monitoring as contenders will be busy leading up to the March 3rd deadline, doing what it takes to make their team better and get a leg up on their competition.

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