Just before the Blackhawks opened training camp last September, news emerged that defenseman Connor Murphy was out with a back injury, an ailment that left him out until December. That limited Murphy to just 52 games, his lowest number since his rookie season.
When Murphy made his season debut Dec. 9, the Blackhawks were still in the middle of a freefall. Chicago had lost its sixth straight game and was in the middle of a 3-16-3 stretch that ultimately doomed its season. The Blackhawks allowed 30 goals in the prior six games, too.