Edmonton Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse has been the subject of trade rumors since the Pacific Division club’s first-round playoff exit. However, with Nurse having a full no-movement clause, there were naturally some questions about whether or not he would be willing to waive it.
Now, the Oilers have gotten their answer on that front in a major way.
According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, Nurse has requested a trade from the Oilers. In addition, Friedman reported that the big defenseman has given the Oilers three to five teams that he would be willing to accept a trade to.
Nurse is entering the fifth year of his eight-year, $74 million contract with the Oilers, where he has a $9.25 million cap hit. That is a hefty cap hitm but the possibility of him being moved this summer certainly should not be ruled out. This is especially so when noting that there are not many notable pending unrestricted free agent (UFA) left-shot defensemen this year.
Why the Oilers Must Find a Trading Partner for Nurse
Nurse wanting a trade and being willing to waive his no-movement clause for multiple teams is certainly good news for the Oilers. With this, they now have some wiggle to move on from him, which is a real necessity.
There is no question that Nurse is a solid top-four defenseman when he is playing at his best. However, with the Oilers desperately needing more cap space and having multiple roster needs to address, moving on from Nurse’s $9.25 million cap hit would be massive for them.
If the Oilers are able to deal Nurse, it would open the door for them to make some notable upgrades to their roster. Among their biggest needs heading into the offseason is a starting goalie, another top-six winger, a third-line center, and a top-four right-shot defenseman. Trading away Nurse would help create more cap space for the Oilers to help address at least one of these needs.
Why Oilers’ Nurse Could Generate Interest Around the NHL Despite Expensive Cap Hit
While Nurse’s cap hit is certainly high, he still has the potential to generate some interest around the league this summer. Yes, he is overpaid, but he is also a proven top-four defenseman who would have the potential to be a good addition for a team looking to boost its second pairing. This is especially so if an interested club has plenty of cap space to work with.
Nurse’s playoff experience also adds to his appeal. This is because the 31-year-old blueliner has played in 100 career playoff games and has appeared in two Stanley Cup Finals with the Oilers (2024 and 2025). It is no secret that NHL clubs value players with a lot of postseason experience, so this could help the Oilers’ chances of dealing him.
In 82 games this season with the Oilers, Nurse recorded seven goals, 17 assists, and 24 points. This is after he recorded at least 32 points in each of his seven previous seasons, so he could bounce back from a fresh start.
Nevertheless, it will be interesting to see if the Oilers can find Nurse a new home with the 6-foot-4 defenseman now requesting a trade.
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