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The Rangers have a lot of flaws, but none are bigger than the fact they simply do not defend well enough. Goalies Igor Shesterkin and Jonathan Quick are doing a lot of heavy lifting — again — to mask their inability to suppress chances, and they could definitely use another top-four defenseman (or two) in their lineup.
So let’s talk about Chicago’s Connor Murphy.
Murphy is not going to do much damage offensively, but he is a very solid defensive presence that would help upgrade the Rangers’ defense.
The Blackhawks are allowing 2.47 expected goals per 60 minutes when he is on the ice during 5-on-5 play, which is a very respectable number given how bad the rest of the Blackhawks lineup is and how bad their team defense is.
Just for context, the Rangers did not have a single defenseman on their roster with an expected goal number that good. Adam Fox is leading the team at 2.52 against per 60 minutes.
What makes Murphy so attractive is that he is signed through next season at a very reasonable salary cap number ($4 million), while the Blackhawks also have a salary retention spot available that could help ease the cap situation for the Rangers.
Chicago is also going to be in a definite sell-mode as its rebuild continues.
The problem would be whether or not the Rangers have the resources to match what Chicago would want.
The Blackhawks traded Jake McCabe to Toronto under similar circumstances a year ago for a 2025 conditional first-round pick, a 2026 second-round pick and forwards Joey Anderson and Pavel Gogolev. The draft picks were the key.
The Rangers do not have their 2025 pick, nor do they have any second-round picks over the next three years, but they do have their 2026 first-round pick and all of their third-rounders.
Realistically speaking, if the Rangers are in a win-now mode those draft picks have more value to them as trade chips than they do as draft assets. If the goal is to win a Stanley Cup at some point in the next two years, there is not a single player they are going to pick in the back half of the 2026 first-round that is going to help them achieve that goal.
Would it be worth moving for a player like Murphy that could fill a gigantic need for two potential playoff runs? It might be.
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