The Boston Bruins have multiple areas on their roster that they should look to upgrade this off-season. One of them is the right side of their defense, as they need to find a proper replacement for Brandon Carlo, who was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs at the 2025 NHL trade deadline.

A few right-shot defensemen who have the potential to become free agents on July 1 include Aaron Ekblad, Dante Fabbro, Brent Burns, and Cody Ceci. However, the trade market also could have some interesting players for the Bruins to target. 

One trade candidate who the Bruins should consider making a push for is Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Connor Murphy. 

With the Blackhawks' blueline getting crowded, Murphy has been creating chatter in the rumor mill as a trade candidate. The 32-year-old blueliner is also entering the final season of his contract in 2025-26, so it would make sense for the rebuilding Blackhawks to at least listen to offers for him. With the Bruins' right side needing a boost, he could make a lot of sense for them to pursue. 

Like Carlo, Murphy is a big right-shot blueliner who is known for being a dependable stay-at-home defenseman. Due to this, the 6-foot-4 defenseman would have the potential to be a strong addition to the Bruins' second pairing and penalty kill if acquired. However, he could also serve as an upgrade over Andrew Peeke on their bottom pairing. 

Another appealing factor about Murphy is that he has a reasonable $4.4 million cap hit. Due to this, he would not be difficult for the Bruins to afford. He is also well-known for being a good leader, as he has been an alternate captain for Chicago since the 2020-21 season. 

Murphy appeared in 68 games this season with the Blackhawks, where he recorded two goals, 19 points, 117 hits, and 160 blocks. 

Bruins Have 5 Prospects Knocking On The Door The <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/boston-bruins">Boston Bruins </a>are in the middle of retooling their roster after their rough 2024-25 season. Due to this, there is a chance that the Original Six club could end up giving their prospects more opportunities on their NHL roster next season because of it.

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