On Thursday, it was confirmed by Edmonton Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse that he’s decided it would be best if both sides made a clean break from one another.
Nurse is seeking a trade from the only NHL club that he’s played for in his NHL career, which began when he was selected in the first round (seventh overall) of the 2013 NHL Draft, and later extended with a whopping eight-year, $74 million extension in August 2021.
However, it appears as though the relationship between Nurse and the Oilers, which featured two consecutive trips to the Stanley Cup Final, is coming to a close. He still has four years remaining on his deal that carries a $9.25 million cap hit.
Two Frontrunners Have Emerged To Acquire Edmonton Oilers Defenseman Darnell Nurse
According to a recent report from NHL Insider David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period, both the Pittsburgh Penguins and Los Angeles Kings have emerged as the first frontrunners to potentially acquire Nurse from the Oilers.
“According 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,” Pagnotta wrote. “As 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.”
Pagnotta continued by noting the personal connections that Nurse has with the general managers of both the Penguins and Kings.
“Penguins GM Kyle Dubas was Nurse’s 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,” he wrote.
“There 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.”
The Oilers Have Been Wanting To Move On From Darnell Nurse
Just days ago, it was confirmed by NHL Insider Mark Spector that the Oilers would like to move on from Nurse.
“Darnell Nurse and the Edmonton Oilers are headed for a breakup,” Spector wrote. “The clock is ticking on the veteran defenceman’s time in Edmonton, with Nurse holding all the cards for one more season before his current no-trade clause morphs into a 10-team list to which he can dealt. Conversations with several current and former employees all lead to the same place: the Oilers are ready and willing to trade Nurse as soon as they are able. Sources confirm that Oilers GM Stan Bowman will be speaking with Nurse in the coming days about his wishes.”
So far in his NHL career, Nurse has appeared in 798 games and scored 88 goals with 236 assists. Additionally, he’s contributed seven goals and 22 assists in 100 career postseason games.
He tallied seven goals with 17 assists while playing in all 82 regular season games this most recent season, as he and the Oilers were eliminated in the opening round of the postseason by the Anaheim Ducks.
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