The Edmonton Oilers are said to be closing in on a contract extension for veteran defenseman Connor Murphy.

According to Oilers reporter Ryan Rishaug, the Oilers are said to be close to inking Murphy to a contract extension, and the scribe believes the deal could be done in the next day or two.

“Sounds like solid progress has been made between Murphy and the Oilers, wouldn’t be surprised to see something get done in the next day or so,” Rishaug wrote on X.

Connor Murphy is an Underrated Defenseman

Murphy is arguably one of the NHL’s most underrated defensemen, so depending on how much the Oilers pay to re-sign him and for how many years, this could turn out to be a great deal for Edmonton, who need all the defensive help it can get.

The 33-year-old American was drafted by the Phoenix Coyotes in the first round with the 20th overall pick in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft. He played four seasons in Phoenix for the Coyotes before being traded to the Chicago Blackhawks, where he spent parts of the next nine seasons before he was traded to the Oilers at the trade deadline this past season for a second-round pick.

Because Murphy played in Phoenix and then in Chicago during the team’s down years, he never got the recognition he deserved as a reliable, top-four defender who is solid defensively and can chip in a few points here and there. Overall, depending on how much money the contract costs, this could be a great deal for the Oilers.

Oilers Making Big Moves

In addition to closing in on this contract extension with Murphy, the Oilers also re-signed forward Jason Dickinson to a five-year, $20 million contract on Sunday.

Oilers general manager Stan Bowman is getting his work in this offseason as he looks to retool the Oilers into a Stanley Cup contender after they were eliminated in the first round of this year’s playoffs by the Anaheim Ducks.

The team is also said to be close to signing Mike Babcock to a contract to be the team’s next head coach.