The veteran defenseman has spent his entire 12-year NHL career with the Edmonton Oilers. But despite contract clauses and cap hits, Darnell Nurse may move on to greener pastures.

The 31-year-old carries a $9.25 million cap hit through the 2029-30 season and a full no-movement clause. These terms raised questions about whether Edmonton could negotiate a fair deal.

However, on his 32 Thoughts podcast, NHL insider Friedman said he believes there is a good amount of interest across the league. The Oilers may devise a valuable hockey trade rather than move Nurse's contract for cap relief.

According to Friedman, Nurse gave the Oilers a list of three to five teams he would be willing to join. However, his status has prompted other teams to enquire about a trade, as well.

This puts Edmonton in a better position than expected. Friedman suggested the Oilers could move on to stronger prospects if they are still interested in exploring.

A concrete deal may be possible if Nurse drops his demands between $7 million and $7.25 million.

The figure seems reasonable given the defenseman's declining numbers. While he played all 82 league games, his production fell short of that of top-class players in his position.

He finished the season with seven goals and 24 points, the lowest in nine years, along with a -12 rating.

Additionally, his ice time dipped below 21 minutes per game, a notable decline from his peak time of over 25 minutes in 2022.

However, his durability remains intact, having amassed 798 regular-season games and 100 playoff games with Edmonton since being drafted in 2013.

As for destinations, Nurse seems more likely to leave for an Eastern Conference team than to live in Canada.

Eastern Conference Teams Could Be the Focus

While speaking on 32 Thoughts, Friedman also addressed speculation linking Nurse to the Florida Panthers, Vegas Golden Knights, or Minnesota Wild.

He confirmed that the list mostly includes the teams in the Eastern Conference. However, the Los Angeles Kings may still have a realistic shot at making a trade.

Among the organizations under consideration, the Philadelphia Flyers are known to have mutual interest, despite no formal talks.

Despite a projected salary cap of $37 million, the team is more in need of mobility and puck-moving than a big physical defensive presence.

Friedman flagged a critical sticking point: salary retention. 

"I had one team tell me that the biggest issue is going to be retention, and not like 50 percent," he stated.

With the Oilers aiming for greater cap flexibility, they are unlikely to retain any of Nurse's current salary. General Manager Stan Bowman will look for defensive reinforcements while maintaining some financial breathing room.

A disappointing first-round playoff exit means the organization must quickly regroup if it wants to capitalize on captain Connor McDavid's prime years.

Do you think the Oilers can move Nurse in exchange for defensive upgrades? Or will a deal prove too expensive?
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Written by

Aadhya Nalla

Edited by

Sijo Paul