GM Stan Bowman has made his first move of the 2026 NHL trade deadline, but when will Connor Murphy make his Edmonton Oilers debut?
The Oilers swung a trade for the veteran defenceman on Monday afternoon, sending back a 2028 second-round pick while getting the Chicago Blackhawks to retain 50 per cent of Murphy’s salary. It was a solid move to help reinforce the defensive group, and Oilers fans will be looking forward to seeing him on the ice.
That will have to wait a few more days, however, as Murphy is not expected to be in Edmonton’s lineup for Tuesday’s game against the Ottawa Senators.
Daily Hive confirmed that the new Oilers defenceman will arrive in the Alberta capital on Tuesday afternoon, but will not suit up.
Been reported elsewhere, but Murphy will not be in the #Oilers lineup tonight against Sens.
He’s slated to arrive in EDM a few hours before puck-drop… but his likely debut will come on Friday against Hurricanes
— Preston Hodgkinson (@NHLHodgkinson) March 3, 2026
This will allow Murphy to get a few skates in with his new team before likely making his Oilers debut on Friday against the Carolina Hurricanes. This will be the first time that Murphy pulls on a new jersey since he was traded from the Arizona Coyotes to the Blackhawks back in the summer of 2017.
As for his jersey number, it has yet to be confirmed by the Oilers what that will be. However, there have been speculations that he will carry over his #5 from Chicago. If true, Murphy will be the first Edmonton player to wear that number since Cody Ceci did between 2021 and 2025.
There has not been any confirmation on where Murphy will line up in Edmonton’s defensive group. Monday’s Oilers practice may have given a few hints that the coaching staff could be lining him up to play on the second pair beside Mattias Ekholm.
No matter where he ends up playing, Oilers fans will be keeping a close eye on him to see if he can help solve the team’s defensive woes.
