While the Oilers' Nurse and coaching dramas grab the headlines, Stan Bowman has been quietly working, and Connor Murphy talks are part of it.
Mark Spector shared the update. There are ongoing discussions on Murphy, and the new coach hire is not the primary factor for him, Spector was told.
The bigger point is what Bowman's been doing. Per Spector, he's been quietly working the market beneath all the coaching and Nurse noise.
Spector kept it measured, too. "Let's see what pans out," he wrote, signaling nothing is finalized but business is moving.
That's the real takeaway here. Edmonton's offseason isn't frozen by the chaos.
Spector's note offers a glimpse behind the loud headlines.
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The coaching noise isn't the factor for Murphy
First, Murphy's role. He's a 33-year-old depth defenseman on a $4.4 million deal, with 17 points and a minus-2 over 80 games. He's exactly the kind of veteran piece a GM sorts out beneath the bigger moves.
The more interesting thread is the coaching line. Earlier, an agent told Jason Gregor that a Mike Babcock hire could dim Edmonton's free-agent appeal, with clients voicing concern.
Spector's reporting cuts against that, at least for Murphy. The coach isn't the primary factor in his situation, which suggests the worry isn't universal.
For some players, the Connor McDavid window and the overall fit outweigh whatever questions surround the bench. Murphy appears to be one of them.
Then there's the Bowman read. He isn't waiting for the Nurse trade or the coaching ruling to act. He's working multiple threads at once.
That's what a good GM does in a messy summer. Keep the smaller deals moving while the loud stories sort themselves out.
Here's my read: it's a good sign Bowman is getting business done beneath the noise. The Murphy talks are minor on their own, but they show he isn't paralyzed by the dramas.
And the coach-isn't-the-factor line is a quiet rebuttal to the free-agent-deterrent worry. Not every player sees the situation the same way.
So beneath the loud stories, the quiet work continues. Whether Murphy and others get done, and how the big dominoes fall, will define Edmonton's summer.
Let's see what pans out, as Spector said. Bowman clearly isn't sitting still.
Is Bowman handling Edmonton's busy offseason well?
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