The Chicago Blackhawks have signed defenceman Connor Murphy to a four-year, $17.6-million contract extension, the team announced Tuesday.
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Connor Murphy inked an extension and is staying put in Chicago. #Blackhawks https://t.co/0LtqLBfqI1— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) August 31, 2021
The deal runs through the 2025-26 season and carries a $4.4-million salary cap hit.
"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," general manager Stan Bowman said in a press release.
"He has transformed into a defenceman capable of matching up with the opponent's best players and someone we trust to help us preserve a lead in the final minutes. Connor's voice carries weight in our locker room as a veteran presence and we're thrilled that his development and leadership will continue as a Blackhawk."
The 28-year-old put up 15 points in 50 games for the Blackhawks last season, averaging a career-high 22:09 in ice time.
Murphy — a native of Dublin, Ohio — has recorded 110 points across 494 games in his eight-year career split between the Blackhawks and the Arizona Coyotes, who selected him in the first round (20th overall) of the 2011 NHL Draft.
The defence-first rearguard — who clocks in at 6-4, 212 pounds — has also blocked at least 100 shots and logged at least 100 hits in the same season on six occasions.
