The Toronto Maple Leafs and the Edmonton Oilers could circle back this offseason to a trade that remained on the cutting room floor at this year’s NHL trade deadline.
Specifically, the deal involved two defensemen, Morgan Rielly and Darnell Nurse.
As insider David Pagnotta discussed in an appearance on Daily Faceoff, the Maple Leafs and Oilers had a deal in place involving Darnell Nurse heading to Toronto, with Nic Roy and Morgan Rielly heading to Edmonton.
The news isn’t exactly groundbreaking. It’s common knowledge by now that the Oilers have been looking to dump Darnell Nurse’s contract. It’s also no secret that Edmonton was looking for a center, with the former Maple Leafs center being a target.
In the end, Nurse stayed put, and Roy headed to Colorado. The Oil eventually landed Jason Dickinson from the Chicago Blackhawks in a separate deal.
As for Rielly, Pagnotta believes that the Maple Leafs and Oilers could still discuss this move. Despite repeatedly nixing the deal, the Leafs could be looking to move out Rielly, with the Oilers potentially being interested in making something happen.
Both Toronto and Edmonton will be looking to reshape their respective blue lines. They have plenty of incentive to turn the roster over, allowing both clubs to hit the reset button, so to speak.
Maple Leafs Looking to Move Carlo As Well
In another not-so-shocking revelation, Maple Leafs GM John Chayka will be looking to move Brandon Carlo. This move is perhaps more a question of practicality than anything else. The 29-year-old will be entering the final year of his current contract.
So, it seems that the Maple Leafs would rather jettison Carlo while he still retains some crucial value.
Could the Oilers look at Carlo instead of Rielly? That may be a possibility. Carlo comes with a much lower cap hit than Rielly. Plus, Carlo has a three-team no-move clause. Unless Edmonton happens to be on that list, there’s not much that could get in the way of trading, Carlo.
Moving Carlo, however, all depends on what other trade partners are willing to surrender for the blueliner coming off a tough year.
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Oilers Might Not Find Trade Partner for Nurse in Toronto
As for trading Nurse to Toronto, the Oilers will be in tough to do that. The Nurse comes with a $9.25 million cap hit. That’s something the Maple Leafs may not be keen on taking on. Unless Edmonton were willing to add a certain sweetener to entice the Leafs to take Nurse’s cap hit, it doesn’t seem like it would make sense.
Perhaps taking Anthony Stolarz off their hands might grease the wheels. Who knows? It’s a little premature for the Maple Leafs and Oilers to engage in such talks, particularly since Edmonton could be fixated on their next coach.
Edmonton has several balls in the air at this point. And they wouldn’t necessarily be dealing from a position of strength. But there may be other potential trade partners out there. So, it might just be a matter of remaining patient.
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