His acquisition would be hailed as the “move of moves” on a team that made move after move with the goal of ending a four-decade Stanley Cup drought.
In this edition of Detroit Red Wings revisited, a series designed to distract while the hockey world is shut down because of the COVID-19 pandemic, we look back at Larry Murphy.
On March 18, 1997, the Wings took advantage of the Toronto Maple Leafs’ house-cleaning and added the 36-year-old. He was the fourth-highest-scoring defenseman in NHL history, purged by the Leafs for his age and salary. The Wings didn’t have to part with a player or a draft pick; all they had to do was pick up the prorated portion of Murphy’s $2.