Blackhawks' Connor Murphy's rumored trade destination down to two specific teams

Murphy, a 32-year-old right-shot blueliner and pending unrestricted free agent, is drawing interest from multiple playoff hopefuls as the Blackhawks flirt with seller status ahead of the deadline.

Murphy's name has been linked to several trade rumors as of late.

Chicago has stumbled lately, riding a six-game losing streak with a 13-17-6 record and sitting near the bottom of the NHL standings, which has only ramped up speculation that general manager Kyle Davidson could flip veteran assets for future return.

Murphy's age and contract situation, combined with Chicago's stockpile of young defensemen like Artyom Levshunov and Sam Rinzel pushing for NHL minutes, make him a logical piece to move.

The Athletic's trade matcher and TSN insider Chris Johnston have each thrown out potential destinations for Murphy in their latest columns, suggesting the Florida Panthers and the Vegas Golden Knights as realistic fits if Chicago makes him available.

Both teams could use a steady, experienced presence on the right side of their blue lines as they aim to tighten up defensively down the stretch.

Interest from Florida makes sense in the context of their Cup aspirations, as adding Murphy alongside Aaron Ekblad and Seth Jones would bolster a blue line that could use more size and shutdown ability.

Vegas, meanwhile, wants to upgrade its right side and could slot Murphy into second-pairing minutes with ease, especially on the penalty kill.

Nashville's recent defensive inconsistency has analysts ticking off needed areas where Murphy's style fits, though it remains to be seen if the Golden Knights will part with the assets necessary to get a deal done.

Murphy has been featured on recent NHL trade boards alongside other Blackhawks like goaltender Laurent Brossoit, underscoring how this club's veteran pieces might be leveraged for future assets.

Chicago's rebuild is entering a critical phase, and how it handles Murphy's situation could signal its competitive timeline.