Darnell Nurse's tenure with the Edmonton Oilers could be coming to an end this offseason after he reportedly requested a trade from the club. The development follows last week's report that indicated the Oilers were hoping to move the defenseman ahead of next season.
Trading Nurse won't be easy to pull off. With four years remaining on his contract at $9.25 million per year, his pact is widely regarded as one of the worst in the league and includes a full no-movement clause. However, Nurse has apparently given Edmonton a list of three to five teams he'd consider waiving his clause for.
The 31-year-old is coming off a season in which he produced a career-low 24 points and averaged just 20:58 of ice time - his lowest since his 2016-17 campaign at age 21.
While Nurse is a toolsy player with good size at 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds, above-average mobility, and some offensive skill, the underlying results haven't always followed, largely due to poor decision-making. His defensive metrics, in particular, have been lackluster in two of the last three seasons.
Darnell Nurse has requested a trade from the Edmonton Oilers. pic.twitter.com/ukEkGnJbsG
— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) June 11, 2026
Still, there might still be a handful of teams willing to take Nurse, especially if the acquisition cost is next to nothing, the Oilers are willing to retain salary, or Edmonton includes a sweetener to take on his full contract. Here are five clubs that make the most sense.
Detroit Red Wings
Detroit's defense needs serious upgrades. The top pair of Simon Edvinsson and Moritz Seider was excellent together, but the rest of the blue line held the team back. The deadline addition of Justin Faulk wasn't enough to get the Red Wings into the playoffs. Would general manager Steve Yzerman consider bringing in Nurse to help the second pair? Detroit's blue line would look something like this:
| LD | RD |
|---|---|
| Simon Edvinsson | Moritz Seider |
| Darnell Nurse | Justin Faulk |
| Ben Chiarot | Axel Sandin-Pellikka |
The Red Wings have over $29 million in cap space this summer. Yzerman also hasn't been shy about adding defensemen with poor analytical profiles, signing Chiarot to a three-year, $11.55-million extension in January. Maybe he's intrigued by Nurse.
Los Angeles Kings
Would the Oilers be willing to trade Nurse to a division rival? If they're willing to do anything to rid themselves of his contract, they should be open to all possibilities. It's easy to see why Los Angeles would be interested.
Kings GM Ken Holland was the one who gave Nurse his eight-year, $74-million contract while he was running the Oilers. Holland also isn't afraid to veer against the analytics, as proven by his signings of defensemen Cody Ceci and Brian Dumoulin last offseason. Nurse would also be an upgrade on the left side of the second pair over Dumoulin or Joel Edmundson.
New York Rangers
The Rangers are retooling. Though Nurse doesn't fit New York's need to get younger, GM Chris Drury might still be intrigued by a deal if the Oilers offered a sweetener, like a draft pick or a prospect. With $26.5 million in cap space this summer, New York could flex its financial muscles to improve its farm system or add draft capital.
Nurse also fills a major need if the Rangers want to remain competitive. After Vladislav Gavrikov, the left side of their blue line consists of Urho Vaakanainen, Drew Fortescue, and Matthew Robertson. Nurse, even with a bloated cap hit, would unquestionably provide a massive upgrade to the second pair alongside either Will Borgen or Braden Schneider. Notably, Nurse has played some of his best hockey beside stay-at-home type defenders, a role both Borgen and Schneider fill.
Pittsburgh Penguins
Nurse doesn't seem like the kind of player Penguins GM Kyle Dubas would target. However, Pittsburgh has very little money tied up long term, and the left side of the blue line is arguably the team's biggest weakness. Currently, that group consists of Parker Wotherspoon, Sam Girard, Ryan Graves, and pending unrestricted free agent Ryan Shea.
If the Oilers were willing to take back Graves and his undesirable contract - three years remaining at $4.5 million annually - the Penguins would be foolish not to consider a deal for Nurse.
San Jose Sharks
The Sharks have just two NHL-caliber defensemen signed for next season in Dmitry Orlov and Sam Dickinson. Shakir Mukhamadullin, a pending restricted free agent, is likely part of their plans for 2026-27 as well.
That leaves three wide-open spots on the blue line, and San Jose has a staggering $40.5 million in cap space this offseason. The Sharks need to spend at least $13.5 million this summer just to ensure they reach the cap floor. Another veteran presence on the blue line wouldn't hurt, either, especially if they use the No. 2 overall pick on a defenseman.
