Let's be honest here. If Murphy is on the ice, he is your default to take the blame for goals. I get it. We all have those players.


Sadly, the Hawks have far too many of them for me.
- Elbows15

I’ve never had one.

What’s the condition? Might be worth it.
- Ogilthorpe2

If the receiving team wins the Cup the 6th coverts to a 7th, if they don’t the 6th turns into “future considerations”.

Nah the problem with Murphy is he's being compared to a competent NHL dman
- BetweenTheDots

Having the best top 4 in the league for the better part of a decade may have skewed your perception of what a merely competent D-man looks like.

Nah the problem with Murphy is he's being compared to a competent NHL dman
- BetweenTheDots

Murphy is what he is. He certainly is competent, or he wouldn’t be in the NHL, but he’s not an elite defenseman. Put him on a good team who can play him where he belongs he’s fine. Last year on Chicago where he lines up as the team’s second best all around defenseman, after Duncan Keith, he’s completely out of his element. Next season he’ll be playing closer to where he belongs, a second or third pairing defenseman who can help killing penalties.

That's fine i sure hope he doesn't have anymore of these bone head plays, but this is Murphy we are talking about, so i agree to disagree, he has a warrior mentality which i like but when it comes to thinking the game, not so much
- BetweenTheDots

Which NHL defenseman doesn't make bonehead plays?

I love it when it’s just the 6 of us in here.

Which NHL defenseman doesn't make bonehead plays?
- mohel

If Ogi was in the NHL he wouldn’t.

He should wait until he sees how this season goes. If David Savard can bring back some decent assets at the TDL, Murph should get a decent return.
- Elbows15

savard is much better than murphy

Nah the problem with Murphy is he's being compared to a competent NHL dman
- BetweenTheDots

Competent I have learned on this board means "perfect no mistakes."

He has certainly outplayed Hammer since the trade.
- Elbows15

Yeah & earned an "A" imo.

The one that Tony was picked up from Montreal on waivers?
- LAHawk

that was not a trade..and tony O won nothing

If Ogi was in the NHL he wouldn’t.
- paulr

He'd cook the best "insert any dish" for them too. & fly them. #trifecta

Having the best top 4 in the league for the better part of a decade may have skewed your perception of what a merely competent D-man looks like.
- Ogilthorpe2

You're probably right, but then again i watch Kalynuk, and here is a kid i see with a lot of promise. To me seems to think the game very well without the puck.

Murphy is what he is. He certainly is competent, or he wouldn’t be in the NHL, but he’s not an elite defenseman. Put him on a good team who can play him where he belongs he’s fine. Last year on Chicago where he lines up as the team’s second best all around defenseman, after Duncan Keith, he’s completely out of his element. Next season he’ll be playing closer to where he belongs, a second or third pairing defenseman who can help killing penalties.
- paulr

Murphy is definitely competent and a reliable #4, actually McCabe and Murphy will/would make a nice 2nd pairing that you can win with, now if they can find a Sergachev comparable for the first pair the Hawks would be in business. Like Darth, I also would be okay if the Hawks signed Murphy for $4-$4.5M AAV.

Murphy is definitely competent and a reliable #4, actually McCabe and Murphy will/would make a nice 2nd pairing that you can win with, now if they can find a Sergachev comparable for the first pair the Hawks would be in business. Like Darth, I also would be okay if the Hawks signed Murphy for $4-$4.5M AAV.
- Angotti

I know a lot of guys are big on him. I'm not. I watched him a lot in the few seasons he's been in the NHL. I didn't see a strong & competitive player. I saw him give the puck away quickly which kept them hemmed in their own end, he committed a lot of penalties, & a dirtbag on top of it all. If I'm in the minority, that's cool, but I don't want him near the hawks.

I sure hope McCabe is better than Murphy?
- BetweenTheDots

prepare to be disappointed but i would say they are fairly the same type of d-men. McCabe is probably more physical and a better skater but neither will wow you with offense.

To be clear, I like the McCabe signing. I wish it was a bit cheaper but if 500K is what it took to sign him, than so be it.

They would be perfect to pair together in a primarily shutdown role. Both are legit 2nd pair D-men in this league.

You're probably right, but then again i watch Kalynuk, and here is a kid i see with a lot of promise. To me seems to think the game very well without the puck.
- BetweenTheDots

Kalynuk was showing his rookie a lot toward the end of the season and making some very bad decisions. Absolutely to be expected from a guy with less than 50 games in the NHL with very little time between the NCAA and NHL.

My guess is he won't be on the team to start the season anyway. He is the only D-man who is waiver exempt.

savard is much better than murphy
- LFS

ah ok lol

prepare to be disappointed but i would say they are fairly the same type of d-men. McCabe is probably more physical and a better skater but neither will wow you with offense.

To be clear, I like the McCabe signing. I wish it was a bit cheaper but if 500K is what it took to sign him, than so be it.

They would be perfect to pair together in a primarily shutdown role. Both are legit 2nd pair D-men in this league.
- Elbows15

Not worried about offense, just hoping he's wise enough to know he's actually on a pk, don't chase the puck,
and/or not stare down outlet passes to and simple stick lift, icing, face off in our own zone, Kind of dman

Not worried about offense, just hoping he's wise enough to know he's actually on a pk, don't chase the puck,
and/or not stare down outlet passes to and simple stick lift, icing, face off in our own zone, Kind of dman
- BetweenTheDots

I like my D-men to play defense in the other zone. If the Hawks can't stop getting their brains beat in on the shot charts, its gonna be a long season.

I like my D-men to play defense in the other zone. If the Hawks can't stop getting their brains beat in on the shot charts, its gonna be a long season.
- Elbows15

Are those charts fancy?

I like my D-men to play defense in the other zone. If the Hawks can't stop getting their brains beat in on the shot charts, its gonna be a long season.
- Elbows15

That does you no good if they can't get the puck out of our own zone or stop them from entering. What happens when you don't win a face off?

Are those charts fancy?
- Ogilthorpe2

Only if you use a ruler to draw the lines.

The entire theory of playing in the offensive zone is based on the premise you can keep them out of your own zone, so you have to have a really good defensive team.

Karlsson and Burns are really good offensive dmen and it really didn't matter