Murphy Close to return
Groin injury has kept him out since Jan. 13, but he wants to play before season ends
Sharks star Logan Couture’s struggles with a specific groin injury known as Osteitis pubis, which has sidelined him for most of the season, have been well-documented.
Quietly, Blackhawks defenseman Connor Murphy has been dealing with the same thing. Murphy and Couture have commiserated and shared advice during their respective recovery processes this spring.
“Trying to do research on who has had a similar injury and what they’ve been through and [get clarity] timeline-wise; everyone has such a different experience,” Murphy said Friday. “It was hard to find something to grasp on to and find a plan.
“Mine wasn’t as bad as [Couture’s] with the levels of pain and stuff, but it was nice to ... know you’re not the only one going through a confusing time.”
Murphy last played Jan. 13, but he finally appears on track to return before the end of the season. He was a partial practice participant Wednesday and a near-full participant Friday.
Although Murphy won’t dress for either half of the Hawks’ home back-to-back this weekend against the Stars and Wild, he said he hopes to return this coming week — as long as his body continues to respond favorably to each new step of the ramp-up process.
If he returns Wednesday at the Blues, that would allow him to make five more appearances before the offseason arrives, finishing the season with 48 games played.
“Pushing to get in shape to be able to play was very important for me,” he said. “People think it’s meaningless games, but as a player, there’s always something to play for . . . . [Even to] just show that you want to be a part of the solution and not just a part of the problem, sitting out and not caring and letting guys go through a tough season on their own.”
Back in January, when Murphy first began feeling shooting pain in his groin, he told teammates he expected to be back within a week or two. As time dragged on, though, he wondered every day if that was the day he would finally feel better.
His groin tissue itself was fine, but an MRI exam revealed inflammation in the joint between his two pubic bones — the hallmark trait of Osteitis pubis.
“That was pretty clear to the doctors on diagnosing what it was; [the issue] was more not knowing how to treat it,” he said. “I was doing cortisone shots, PRP [plasma injections], resting, gym work, core strengthening and stretching. You’re just trying to do a little bit of everything — [from] chiropractors [to] needles — and going through everything available, trying to see what works.”
At least Murphy’s woes won’t end up being as bad as Couture’s. He has been sidelined since the first day of training camp in September and had to shut himself down again after a failed six-game comeback stint in January.
Waiver claim Jaycob Megna has functioned as rookie Kevin Korchinski’s partner on the second pairing for months now. Megna also helped out Murphy; he was the person who connected him to Couture. Nonetheless, it likely would benefit Korchinski to get a little time with a more proven guy such as Murphy before entering what should be a crucial offseason of training and gaining strength.
This will be a rather important summer for Murphy, too, to ensure he feels 100% healthy entering the penultimate season of his four-year contract.
He played 80 games in 2022-23, but that’s the only time in his last six seasons that he has played more than 58. It’s fair to say his durability — especially because he just turned 31 in late March — is becoming a slight concern. ✶