It didnât take long before Connor McDavid reacted to the latest acquisition made by the Edmonton Oilers in the 2025-26 NHL season. With the trade deadline rising on the horizon, the Oilersâ captain made something clear to the front office about bolstering the lineup.
McDavid and company are welcoming Connor Murphy to Edmonton. The move was confirmed after reports indicated the Oilers were going after the veteran teammate of Connor Bedard on the Chicago Blackhawks. The feeling around the organization is that there are more moves from where that one came.
Thus, as McDavid and the Oilers received a strong warning from Stan Bowman before the trade deadline, the captain had some words of his own for the front office. The message in The Gateway to the North is clear: make adjustments if needed, but donât fix what isnât broken.
âFinding a way to add without having to subtract is always a great thing,â McDavid reminded the front office before the trade deadline and heading to the Stanley Cup Playoffs, via @EdmontonOilers on X. âGiven our stage and where weâre at, draft picks arenât as valuable to us. Iâm excited about the move.â
Connor McDavid after the 2024 Stanley Cup Final
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As McDavid admitted, draft picks hold little value for the Oilers right now; Edmonton is in a âwin-nowâ scenario. That was the primary driver behind McDavid signing his two-year, $25 million contract extensionâa deal that begins next season and keeps him in Northern Alberta through 2028. He has no interest in waiting for draft prospects to blossom into NHL-caliber players.
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The Oilersâ decision to part with a 2028 second-round pick for a proven defense-first blueliner like Connor Murphy adds size and veteran experience at exactly the right time. While hindsight is 20-20, on paper, this is a significant move for Stan Bowman and the front office. However, just because Edmonton made a sound business decision doesnât necessarily mean Chicago got the short end of the stick.
With Murphyâs deal set to expire after this season, his impact will be measured in the short term. Meanwhile, the Blackhawks are playing the long game; they wonât even use that pick until 2028, and fans in the Windy City may not see that player in the NHL until 2030. The deal may have all the ingredients of a classic win-win: Chicago continues its patient rebuild, while Edmonton goes all-in. To declare a winner this early would be a mistake.
