Mitchell is gonna go somewhere else and be a solid defenseman. It's pretty sad the way CHI has utilized him. I really think CHI should trade Murphy and either scratch Zaitsev or buy out his contract. Give the two spots on the right side behind Jones to Mitchell and Regula, let them acclimate and get serious minutes and be put in a position to succeed before they torch their value and CHI tosses them out for nothing. Also, why haven't Phillips and Mitchell been playing as a pair? Shelter or them if you have to, but their chemistry last year in Rockford was undeniable.

I thought for sure Phillips and Mitchell being paired up was going to be the plan when they were both up, but that never really came to fruition. (Moneypuck says they played a total of 11.5 minutes together) I like what Murphy brings for the younger guys in experience and mentorship, but you’re right, those top 4 minutes are essential to developing the young guys. Davidson seems willing to retain on longer contracts, so I wouldn’t mind seeing what you can get for Murphy at 50% retained. All we can hope for is that Mitchell’s ice time jumps on this final stretch.

I like Murphy too, but he is just a roadblock right now. I don't think his experience is going to make or break the development of any young defensemen in CHI's system. Even if the plan is to move on from some of the more NHL ready Bowman era prospects, we should still be trying to get them more ice time to see if we can maximize their trade values.