The Edmonton Oilers are expected to have a busy offseason of roster turnover this summer following a 2026 playoff run that did not go to plan with a surprising first round exit to the Anaheim Ducks.
One player whose name has been in trade rumors has been defenseman Darnell Nurse. Nurse’s play has trailed off in recent seasons and he carries with him a rich $9.25 million contract that has handicapped this salary-crunched Oilers team from being able to significantly upgrade their roster.
It would be in Edmonton’s best interest to move the Nurse contract. This would open up some much needed space in their books to surround franchise cornerstones Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl with more talent around them. The question is which team would be most interested in Nurse’s services?
Darnell Nurse Could be Traded to San Jose
One team that would make a ton of sense for Nurse is the San Jose Sharks. The Sharks have been a team on the rise of late with a promising season this past year. However, they will need to improve their defense if they want a shot at breaking into playoff contention next season.
The Daily Faceoff’s Jeff Marek has alluded to the possibility of a Nurse trade to San Jose in the future. He mentioned the team has a plethora of young offensive players that would attract the Oilers interest.
Nurse could be the veteran presence that Sharks team needs in order to take the next step. It could also be a nice change of environment for him, playing for a California team that would place much less pressure on him compared to the ruthless Edmonton market.
For the Oilers, this hypothetical trade would create more flexibility for them to make further moves in order to bolster their lineup towards making that Stanley Cup push. They have the defensive pieces to fill in for Nurse; adding depth up front on the offense should be a priority for them moving forward.
Next Season is Make or Break for Edmonton
The 2026-2027 campaign will be the most important season of the McDavid era thus far for Edmonton. It may be the last year left for Oilers management to pull through and make things right. Another playoff setback could be the last straw with respects to McDavid’s future with the organization as his short term contract expires in 2028.
Broadcaster Ryan Rishaug of TSN has brought up this point. While there may be two years left on McDavid’s deal, it is effectively a one year window left to win. If McDavid opts not to extend next offseason, the Oilers may have no choice but to try to move him in order to not risk losing their franchise player for nothing in the ensuing summer.
General manager Stan Bowman and the front office must exhaust all options on the table with regards to going all in for the 2027 Stanley Cup. It would be a failure to not bring home a championship during McDavid’s tenure with the team.
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