The Edmonton Oilers and Darnell Nurse are heading for a split. The veteran defenseman has requested a trade, and according to TSN’s Pierre LeBrun, the Oilers are putting serious work into making it happen.
LeBrun said the team is spending a majority of its time trying to figure out a deal for Nurse, who gave Edmonton a short list of preferred destinations. As of midweek, a trade wasn’t close. But the conversations are happening.
The Nurse Era in Edmonton
Nurse was drafted seventh overall by the Oilers in 2013 and has played 798 games for the organization. That’s seventh among all skaters in franchise history and second among defensemen. He was a key piece of two runs to the Stanley Cup Final. But both sides have decided it’s time to move on.
His exit comes as Mike Babcock takes over as head coach. That could complicate things for Edmonton. Babcock’s reputation might make it harder to land players with no-movement clauses in a trade. If the Oilers move Nurse for picks and prospects, expect another deal for a roster player to follow quickly. Edmonton can’t afford to let cap space sit unused with Connor McDavid in his prime.
What About San Jose?
The Sharks traded William Eklund for the ninth overall pick earlier this week. They still need a defenseman, but they’re expected to take winger Ivar Sternberg with the second overall pick. Could San Jose pivot and trade for Nurse? Or would they go after Morgan Rielly from the Maple Leafs? Both Canadian teams are shopping veteran defensemen, and they might end up tripping over each other.
Nurse’s short list reportedly includes a few teams, though it’s not clear if San Jose is on it. LeBrun didn’t rule out the list expanding if the Oilers can’t find a deal with the preferred teams. Either way, Edmonton is working the phones hard.
The timeline here is tricky. The draft is coming up, and free agency is right behind it. The Oilers need to make a decision quickly if they want to maximize the return and still have time to plug the hole on the blue line.
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