Although their season ultimately ended in disappointment against the rival Philadelphia Flyers, the Pittsburgh Penguins exceeded expectations and put together a far stronger campaign than many fans and analysts anticipated.
The Penguins not only finished second in their division but also secured their first Stanley Cup Playoff berth since 2022. After dropping the first three games of their opening-round series against Philadelphia, Pittsburgh mounted an impressive comeback attempt, winning back-to-back contests and coming within one goal of forcing a winner-take-all Game 7.
There was speculation about the future of team icon and future Hall of Fame forward Evgeni Malkin, who had the chance to enter unrestricted free agency. However, those rumors were put to rest when he recently agreed to a one-year extension with the club, keeping him with the team that selected him with the second overall pick behind Russian countryman Alex Ovechkin with the second pick in the 2004 NHL Draft.
However, now that Penguins GM Kyle Dubas has gotten that important matter of business taken care of, there is growing speculation that his connections to a high-priced defenseman could lead to a potential deal to bring him aboard – but it won’t be easy.
Could The Pittsburgh Penguins Land Defenseman Darnell Nurse From The Oilers?
Earlier this week, it was reported through various reliable sources that Edmonton Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse has requested a trade, presenting a considerable challenge for Oilers GM Stan Bowman.
According to NHL Insider David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period, the Penguins are a potential landing spot for Nurse given his prior connection to Dubas.
âAccording to Friedman and Mark Spector, the Nurse camp have given the Oilers a list of three-to-five teams he would waive his no-movement clause for,â Pagnotta wrote. âAs per sources, TFP has learned the Pittsburgh Penguins and Los Angeles Kings are two teams he would be willing to sign off for, and the connections seem clear as to why.â
Because of Nurse’s connection to Dubas dating back to their days with the OHL’s Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, a deal to Pittsburgh could make sense.
âPenguins GM Kyle Dubas was Nurseâs GM in the OHL with the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, while Kings GM Ken Holland was the man who signed him to his eight-year, $74 million contract in August 2021,â Pagnotta wrote. âThere are a lot of moving parts here and a trade is not yet considered imminent, but it seems likely, as it did at the end of the Oilers season, that Nurse would be lacing up his skates with another club to start the 2026-27 NHL campaign.â
Darnell Nurse’s Contract Won’t Be Easy To Move
Nurse was signed by the Oilers to an eight-year, $74 million contract that carries a hefty salary cap hit of $9.25 million.
The Penguins have plenty of current salary cap space, and with the cap expected to rise, absorbing most (if not all) of Nurse’s salary cap hit shouldn’t cause them too many problems if Dubas decided to bring back his old friend.
Drafted seventh overall by the Edmonton Oilers in the 2013 NHL Draft, Nurse has skated in 798 regular-season games, and has recorded 88 goals and 236 assists.
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