The Arizona Coyotes have acquired defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson from the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for defenseman Connor Murphy and forward Laurent Dauphin, the teams announced Friday.
Hjalmarsson, 30, appeared in 73 games last season, registered five goals and 12 assists. He has two years remaining on his contract that carries a $4.1-million cap hit.
The move to Arizona could see Hjalmarsson play on the same defensive pairing with fellow Swedish blue-liner Oliver Ekman-Larsson.
Murphy, 24, was a first-round pick by the Coyotes in 2011, making his NHL debut two years later. He scored two goals and 15 assists in 77 games with Arizona last season. Murphy is signed until 2022 and has a $3.85-million cap charge.
Dauphin split last season between the Coyotes and the AHL's Tucson Roadrunners. He scored three points in 24 games with Arizona, plus 28 points in 38 games with Tucson.
