The Edmonton Oilers may have to make one of their biggest decisions of the offseason as trade rumors about veteran defenseman Darnell Nurse continue to grow.

The latest update came from NHL insider David Pagnotta on the Hello Hockey podcast. Pagnotta said that one team from the Eastern Conference and one team from the Western Conference are the top candidates to trade for Nurse.

"It sounds like it's Philadelphia and Anaheim that are battling this one out to try and get Darnell Nurse," Pagnotta said on the June 27 episode of the Hello Hockey podcast.

Pagnotta's comments suggest that the Oilers could soon have more than one serious trade option. This could give the team a better position during trade talks.

“I reported yesterday that Boston is another team on his list that he would be willing to go to," the analyst added. "But nothing, I believe, has transpired on that front. It sounds like it’s Philadelphia and Anaheim that are battling this one out to try and get Darnell Nurse.”

However, between Anaheim and Philadelphia, Pagnotta came with an update about which club holds higher chances to land Nurse's commitment.

"Now, the Ducks are not on his preferred list, and I believe there is going to be a conversation today that he's going to have with his representation to determine whether or not that's an avenue they want to go down," said the analyst.

Nurse endured one of the roughest seasons of his career, finishing with a minus-12 rating, his lowest in nearly a decade, and a career-high 88 giveaways.

If he agrees to add more teams to his list, the Oilers will have more options in trade discussions. With several teams reportedly interested, Edmonton could be in a stronger position to make a trade and improve its roster before next season.

Trade details could differ between Philadelphia and Anaheim

In the same Hello Hockey interview, Pagnotta said the details of a possible Darnell Nurse trade could be different depending on which team ends up trading for him.

"My understanding is that if this trade does happen with the Ducks, there would be no salary retention," he said. "I think there is retention in place if he goes to Philly. I don't think it's overly significant, under 2 million, probably one and a half in that range."

This money difference could help Edmonton decide which trade offer is better. Pagnotta also said both possible trades are expected to send a player back to the Oilers, and that player will likely be a defenseman.

He added that Owen Zellweger was discussed before he was traded to the Buffalo Sabres. He also said he does not expect Rasmus Ristolainen to be part of a possible trade package from the Philadelphia Flyers.

The Oilers also want to improve their goaltending this offseason. If they trade Nurse and free up salary cap space, they could make more moves besides changing their defense.

With the pressure of his eight-year, $74 million contract continuing to mount, Nurse and the organization could both welcome a fresh start following their disappointing 2026 playoff exit.

Will Edmonton capitalize on the growing interest and complete one of the biggest NHL trades of the offseason? Let us know in the comments. 

Read more at the NHL Fan Central.

Written by

Kapil Manghnani

Edited by

Soheli Tarafdar