Darnell Nurse informed the Oilers of his desire to be moved last week and submitted a short list of desired destinations. David Gonzales / Imagn Images
June 11, 2026 Updated 3:58 pm EDT
Darnell Nurse has requested a trade from the Edmonton Oilers after spending his entire 12-year NHL career with the team, league sources told The Athletic on Thursday.
The veteran defenseman believes it’s time for a change of scenery and will have some say in where he ends up courtesy of a no-movement clause in his contract that runs until summer of 2027.
Nurse informed the Oilers of his desire to be moved last week and submitted a short list of desired destinations at that point, according to a league source.
He has four years remaining on a deal that carries a $9.25 million cap hit. However, because the salary structure in that contract was heavily front-loaded, he’s only owed $29.6 million over the remainder of the deal — including a $6 million bonus payment this summer.
The 31-year-old was selected No. 7 by Edmonton in 2013 and has played 798 regular-season games for the Oilers, plus another 100 in the playoffs. He finished last season with seven goals and 24 points in 82 games. He then led the team in even-strength time on ice (21:04) during a first-round series loss to the Anaheim Ducks.
Sportsnet was the first to report on Nurse’s trade request.
Jun 11, 2026
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