Blackhawks defenseman Connor Murphy is a pending unrestricted free agent
The Buffalo Sabres were expected to be a team in the seller category after starting the season at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings, but the Sabres surge since December has them in position to end their 14-year playoff drought, which has made GM Jarmo Kekalainen re-evaluate the club’s options.
Based on the Sabres position in the top three of the Atlantic Division, it seems highly unlikely that they will deal pending unrestricted free agent winger Alex Tuch, but in the days leading up to the NHL trade deadline on March 6, there are a number of potential trade options on the table for Kekalainen that make sense.
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One potential option floated in a piece in The Athletic earlier this week is a trade for Chicago defenseman Connor Murphy. The 32-year-old is a 13-year NHL veteran who started his career in Arizona and has spent the last nine seasons with the Hawks, but Murphy is a pending UFA making $4.4 million. With the inconsistent availability of Michael Kesselring and the injury to Conor Timmins, it would make sense for the Sabres to be seeking reinforcements on the right side of their blueline.
The piece speculates that Murphy, who has 12 points (4 goals, 8 assists) in 57 games, would cost the Sabres a 2027 second-round pick, but the cost for right-shot blueliners tends to increase as the deadline approaches. The Sabres interest in someone like Murphy would only make sense if they are not confident that Kesselring can stay healthy, or that Timmins will not return before the end of the season.
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