A strong blend of younger and older talent has closed out this season for the Chicago Blackhawks, and they have given fans plenty to be excited about for next year. Their record has them finishing second-to-last in the NHL just like a season ago, but the two teams could not have been more different.
The last month of this season has featured a much more competitive on-ice product compared to the previous few years. With a harder slate of opponents, the Blackhawks have been close in many more tilts than they would have been at the beginning of the season.
While veteran forward Pat Maroon was already nominated by the Blackhawks’ media members for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, another nomination needed to be made by the organization. The team’s King Clancy Trophy nominee for the campaign was announced on Tuesday, and it comes as no surprise to anybody.
Connor Murphy is the Chicago Blackhawks’ Clancy Trophy nominee
Murphy was officially announced as Chicago’s King Clancy Trophy nominee for the year on Tuesday. This is the fifth straight season where the 32-year-old has received this honor, and it is well deserved, per usual. The award is given out to the player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and who has made a significant humanitarian contribution to his community.
The veteran blue liner has been an alternate captain in Chicago for the past couple of seasons. Based on recent results, it’s easy to see the impact that he and Nick Foligno have had on the young group in the dressing room right now.
This is Murphy’s eighth season as a Blackhawk after being a first-round draft choice of the Coyotes in 2011. He played in 68 games this season and logged two goals to pair with his 17 assists. For a team that had their fair share of blowouts earlier on in the season, Murphy’s plus/minus rating of -3 is a major positive to takeaway from a year where he missed 14 games.
The Chicago Blackhawks need Connor Murphy around next year
Despite younger right-shot blue-liners getting called up and receiving significant minutes this season, it is important to keep Murphy around the Windy City for the remainder of his contract. He is set to take home $4.4 million per year for the next two seasons, which will help the organization in multiple ways. In the short-term, it allows for the front office to reach the cap floor, and it gives them a strong leader to continually be there for the youth movement coming through the pipeline.
Sam Rinzel and Artyom Levshunov each came up in the final month of the campaign, and they both were extremely impressive in their first run at the NHL level. Murphy was bumped down to the third pairing because of this, but he still found a way to contribute.
Whether it’s working with the two younger right-shot defensemen or any potential player as a blue liner partner, Murphy can be the true veteran in the group to help out the plethora of talent just getting used to life in the NHL. With Seth Jones being dealt at the deadline and Alec Martinez retiring, Murphy is the last older defenseman left on the team.
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