It's no secret that the Devils are shopping for a center leading up to the Trade Deadline on Friday. But Tom Fitzgerald should consider a swap that could make the defensive corps stronger as the team fights to hang onto a playoff berth.
With Jonas Siegenthaler on LTIR and Dougie Hamilton out indefinitely with a lower-body injury, the Devils will be relying heavily on mid- to lower-pairing skaters in the near future. Adding another consistent player on the blueline could make a big difference down the stretch.
Connor Murphy
Chicago Blackhawks
Connor Murphy is one name that's being thrown around in trade discussions, per The Hockey News. The 31-year-old defender has faced the difficult task of playing 20:49 per game on a struggling Blackhawks team. All things considered, Murphy has played a fairly solid season to this point, registering just -4 for a team with a goal differential of -44.
One of Murphy's biggest upsides is his mobility, but that doesn't mean he can't also hunker down. At 119 blocked shots in 48 games, Murphy would lead the Devils in that category with 12 more than the current leader, Brett Pesce. Murphy's 81 hits would also be third-most among Devils defensemen.
It should be noted Murphy has had some difficulty staying healthy, having missed a portion of both this year and last year.
But with a cap hit of $4.4 million and one year to go on his contract, that feels like a reasonable price for a defender with a track record of playing big minutes. He may not be a permanent fixture on the Devils' top pairing, but he could be worth taking a look at.