Blackhawks sign Murphy to 4-year, $17.6M extension

The Chicago Blackhawks signed defenseman Connor Murphy to a four-year extension with an annual cap hit of $4.4 million, the team announced Tuesday.

Murphy was set to become an unrestricted free agent after the 2021-22 campaign as he enters the final season of a six-year deal that carries an average annual value of $3.85 million.

Chicago acquired Murphy in a trade with the Arizona Coyotes during the 2017 draft. In four seasons with the Blackhawks, the 28-year-old has 61 points in 236 games.

"When we acquired Connor in the summer of 2017, we had visions of him growing as both a player and leader in our organization for many years," Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman said. "He has transformed into a defenseman capable of matching up with the opponent's best players and someone we trust to help us preserve a lead in the final minutes."

Murphy shouldered the second-highest average ice time per game (22:09) among all Blackhawks defensemen during the 2020-21 campaign.

With this new deal under his belt, Murphy is now signed through the 2025-26 season. Chicago's longest-tenured active defenseman has cemented his place on the team's revamped blue line alongside Seth Jones and Jake McCabe.

The then-Phoenix Coyotes drafted Murphy with the 20th overall pick in 2011.