According to a report by Elliotte Friedman, Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse has gone to the organization to request a trade out of Edmonton, as first reported by Marc Spector.
Friedman also reports that Nurse has a 3-5 team list that he would consider. He also has the right to limit the number of legit destinations. Originally, it was said that Oilers GM Stan Bowman would be speaking with Edmonton’s alternate captain within this timeframe to discuss his future; however, if he said he wants to be an Oiler for another season, then trade talk would be halted, and the team would welcome him back for one more year.
Nurse, who currently holds a full no-movement clause on his contract until the end of the 2026-27 season before it moves to a 10-team no-trade list in 2027-28, is ready to be dealt away as soon as possible by the Oilers. The 31-year-old finished his 2025-26 season scoring seven goals for 24 points in his fifth 80+ game season of his NHL career. He amassed over 100 penalties in minutes, by far the most in his career, and a 32 PIM increase from last season. Nurse also finished with the worst goals percentage of his career since exiting his entry-level contract at 44.4%.
Edmonton originally extended Nurse for the start of the 2022-23 season to an eight-year deal at $74MM ($9.25MM AAV) when he was 26, coming off a career-high 43 points in 82 games in 2020-21, which saw him rank second in goals by a defenseman in the NHL that season, with his 16 tallied only two behind Arizona’s Jakob Chychrun. Entering year five of eight, he has three years left before the deal expires, when he will be 35 years old. While they’re set to bring in a potential new head coach in Mike Babcock, they’ll have to part ways with one of their longest-tenured players ever, who’s seventh in all-time games played, with 798.
The former seventh overall pick by the Oilers in the 2013 NHL Draft has never inked a contract elsewhere. Nurse signed his entry-level contract in July of 2013, with a salary of $863.3K a season starting in 2015-16, when he saw his first full season of NHL play. After those five years, he signed a two-year, bridge deal at $6.4MM ($3.2MM AAV). Ending as an RFA in 2020, he kept the years the same on his next deal, with an increased value of $11.2MM ($5.6MM AAV) before signing his current contract that the Oilers appear eager to get off their books.
Even with the NHL cap hit rising to $104MM, Nurse’s payment, similar to that of a top-pair defenseman, hasn’t proved worthy of that cap hit. His hockey sense has seen a lack of translation to some notably questionable reads in high-pressure situations. Having made back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals in 2024, the coaching staff had slowly dropped Nurse’s ice time and considered scratching him, per Spector’s report. So much so, he ranked last among the seven Oilers defenders who played in that series, averaging just 15:51 of ice time per game.
In a trade, it’ll be likely that teams will look for the Oilers to take on a portion of the $9.25MM cap hit that he’s owed for four more years in the event a deal is agreed upon. Regardless, Edmonton will free up more money that will add to the team’s current cap space of around $14.6MM as it stands this summer with eight unrestricted free agents and two restricted free agents, notably from the team’s main roster.
Photo Credit: Perry Nelson-Imagn Images
Lol
He has negative trade value, don’t think he should be making lists of teams he will go to, delusional.
“You cant break up with me, I’m breaking up with you”
He plays 22 minutes per game, so I guess that’s worth.. something? Maybe?
Oil fans celebrate.. for now
Coincidence Babcock is on his way in and Nurse news breaks… coincidence
There is not a sane GM that would take him for the full cap hit. The oilers will need either a major sweetener or eat some of that money. I would pay 6 for nurse but not his full hit
Someone take Holland’s phone away.
He wants to be traded? Not going to happen unless he drops any conditions; the only teams who want him have cap space, are likely not playoff contenders & are willing to try & rehabilitate his value.
It’s not you, it’s me routine.
To SJ with $1.25M retained for FC’s. It is like replacing the Carry Price contract.
If SJ gets him they better get the Oilers to retain more than that.