VANCOUVER, British Columbia — When the Blackhawks made their first trip to Seattle in November 2021, veteran defenseman Connor Murphy logged a hefty 22:30 of ice time — one of 33 games that season in which Murphy, who had just signed a four-year extension the previous summer, exceeded the 22-minute mark.
Fast-forward four years and Murphy, 32, finds himself in a much different position on the Hawks’ depth chart, even as their longest-tenured player.
He played only 8:30 in a 3-1 loss to the Kraken on Monday night, the lowest ice time of his career in any game in which he didn’t get injured. He was given only three shifts in the third period.
Over the last five games, he has averaged barely 12 minutes, a dramatic decrease since last season, when he averaged more than 20 minutes when healthy.
As an alternate captain and generally selfless teammate, Murphy struck an amicable tone Sunday when asked about his reduced workload, but it’s clear he’s not thrilled.
“Every player wants to play more, obviously, so I don’t think anyone would be happy with having less minutes,” he said. “But I understand there are decisions. Part of it is I think all of our ‘D’ are playing really well, so it’s not something I can argue against in any way.
“When you’re given your opportunities and shifts, [I’m] trying to make the most of them and still have an effect on the game.”
Murphy’s groin condition, osteitis pubis, has sidelined him for significant portions of each of the last two seasons, but he insists it’s not inhibiting him now, for which he’s thankful after hurting for much of the summer. However, his lack of quickness and agility at this age makes him an imperfect fit in coach Jeff Blashill’s aggressive systems, and he’s struggling as a result. The Hawks have been outscored 5-2 with an ugly 38.9% scoring-chance ratio during Murphy’s five-on-five ice time.
He seems aware of that. While answering a different question Sunday, he joked about defenseman Wyatt Kaiser not being “heavy-footed like myself.”
Blashill and Murphy talked “a little bit” about the situation before the Kraken game, Blashill said.
“Connor has been a good player for us, and Connor is a leader for us,” Blashill said. “Some nights he’s going to play more than others. That’s the reality of where our situation is. Some nights, certain guys are playing really good hockey and they’ll get more minutes — that’s why we’re dressing seven [defensemen]. Some nights, they’re not [playing well], and Connor gets more minutes.”
Murphy has notably played the least of the seven defensemen in three straight games. Louis Crevier and veteran Matt Grzelcyk have surpassed him in the pecking order.
Rookie Artyom Levshunov’s steady improvement has mattered, too. The seven-defenseman lineups were instituted in part to shelter him, but as he improves his decision-making and learns how to succeed in the NHL, they’ll become less necessary. Levshunov had an assist in three straight games before Monday, then played a season-high 19:09 in Seattle as the Hawks held a 16-5 advantage in scoring chances during his ice time. He’s on a promising track.
So what will the Hawks do with Murphy? In the short term, Blashill has a tricky situation on his hands.
Long-term, it seems increasingly likely this will be Murphy’s final season in Chicago. His contract is set to expire, and it’s possible he could be shopped before the March 6 trade deadline if he stays healthy and retains some value.
