- Darnell Nurse has asked the Oilers for a trade, per Elliotte Friedman
- He gave Edmonton a list of three to five teams and wants a fresh start
- Read below for the contract that makes a deal tricky and where things stand
Darnell Nurse wants out of Edmonton.
After playing every NHL game of his career in an Oilers sweater, Nurse has gone to the team and asked for a trade. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet broke the news Thursday and reported that Nurse handed Edmonton a list of three to five teams he would accept a deal to.
Friedman said Nurse “now feels it is time for him to move on.” Nobody inside the building was caught off guard. Mark Spector reported a week ago that the Oilers wanted to move their alternate captain, with Stan Bowman set to meet Nurse about his future. If Nurse had said he wanted to stay, the talk stops there. He didn’t.
The 31-year-old holds a full no-move clause, so he controls where he lands. That is why the list carries weight. He is also entering the fifth year of the eight-year, $74 million extension he signed in 2022, a deal that runs at a $9.25 million cap hit through 2029-30.
That number is the catch. Moving a $9.25 million defenseman who is not a true number one gets complicated, and the Oilers will almost certainly have to retain salary to push a trade across the line. Shedding even part of it helps a cap-strapped roster.
Nurse put up seven goals and 24 points this past season over 80-plus games, his fifth time clearing that mark. He also piled up more than 100 penalty minutes, a career high. He sits seventh on the Oilers all-time games-played list.
He is the second big name to ask out with a list this offseason. Dylan Larkin did the same in Detroit, naming just three teams he would waive his clause for. Now Edmonton has to find a fit on Nurse’s short list before camp opens.
