Oilers fans turn against Stan Bowman after his latest move involving over $20 Million

Murphy is 33 years old. That contract runs until he is 38.

For a franchise still searching for its first Stanley Cup since 1990, fans were quick to point out the obvious concern.

"Giving a 33 year old a 5 yr deal and several years of trade protection is a choice," one fan wrote. Another went straight at the general manager.

The frustration goes deeper than one signing. Edmonton Oilers supporters have watched this team reach back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals and come home empty both times.

When the same core runs it back with decisions like this attached, patience runs thin fast.

The hockey case for Murphy isn't impossible to make. He finished 2025-26 with 138 blocked shots and 90 hits.

Acquired from the Chicago Blackhawks on March 2 for a 2028 second-round pick, he slotted in without friction.

He brings reliability, penalty-kill structure, and 825 career games of experience.

For a team built around Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, protecting the blue line matters.

But protecting it for five years on a player this far into his career is where the logic gets shaky.

No new head coach has been named yet after moving on from Kris Knoblauch. Locking in long-term defensive pieces before the coaching staff is even set tells fans everything they already believe about Bowman's approach.

One comment put it plainly.

That word - desperation - is the one Bowman needs to erase. Right now, every move he makes prints it larger.

He has not answered it yet with any move this offseason.

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