{"id":759739,"date":"2026-06-25T07:28:31","date_gmt":"2026-06-25T07:28:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/759739\/"},"modified":"2026-06-25T07:28:31","modified_gmt":"2026-06-25T07:28:31","slug":"darnell-nurse-could-stay-in-edmonton-but-flyers-emerge-as-option","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/759739\/","title":{"rendered":"Darnell Nurse could stay in Edmonton, but Flyers emerge as option"},"content":{"rendered":"

General manager Stan Bowman was going to try leveraging Nurse to consider a deal to waive his no-move clause, and Nurse ended up requesting a trade<\/a>, submitting a three-to-five team trade list.<\/p>\n

Whether it\u2019s a trading holding pattern or the positive words shared by the Oilers\u2019 new associate coach D.J. Smith, there does seem to be a possibility, maybe slim, that Nurse isn\u2019t dealt.<\/p>\n

Oilersnation\u2019s\u00a0Jason Gregor says there is \u201cno real movement\u201d on the Nurse trade front, but his conversation with Smith<\/a> on The Jason Gregor Show on\u00a0Sports 1440 suggests that the coach running Edmonton\u2019s blueline takes a liking to Nurse\u2019s skillset.<\/p>\n

No real movement on Nurse trade front. Oilers have spoken with the short list of teams, but they are in a waiting period.<\/p>\n

Things can change quickly at the draft or if other moves are made. It was interesting listening to DJ Smith talk about Nurse. He coached him at the Worlds\u00a0Show more<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cI hope that I can coach Nursey because he\u2019s a big man with reach and length,\u201d Smith told Gregor. \u201cOur penalty kill over there was 93 per cent, and net 100 per cent. He was the number one guy out the door.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a different system where we pressure, pressure, pressure. He hasn\u2019t had the opportunity to do that in Edmonton, as it\u2019s been more of a sit at the net and make reads kind of style. I think with his length and his athleticism, he can be an elite penalty killer in the National Hockey League. Now, that\u2019s not my business (trade request), that\u2019s his and his family\u2019s and Stan\u2019s, but I would certainly welcome him back.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nurse\u2019s preferred trade destination is Philly<\/p>\n

Sportsnet\u2019s Elliotte Friedman contends that Nurse\u2019s original three-team trade list was limited to Eastern Conference teams outside of Canada, while other reports have suggested that West teams like the Los Angeles Kings and San Jose Sharks would have interest.<\/p>\n

In his latest trade board<\/a>, Sportsnet\u2019s Nick Kypreos believes Nurse would prefer to be traded to the Philadelphia Flyers.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThough Nurse\u2019s $9.25 million AAV is staggering, don\u2019t underestimate how many teams are exploring the possibility of trading for him,\u201d said Kypreos. \u201cWith a no-move clause, Nurse is in control of his destiny for one more year before his contract goes to a 10-team list.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m hearing his preference right now is Philadelphia where he has family ties to his quarterback uncle Donovan McNabb. However, the rival Pittsburgh Penguins may also be a factor here. Kyle Dubas has his eye on Nurse and wants to add muscle to the back end.\u201d <\/p>\n

While the Oilers appear to be targeting a defenceman as part of the return package to fill a roster spot, saving a few extra million on the cap as free agency approaches is a driving factor for making the trade.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Oilers committed five years to Jason Dickinson and Connor Murphy, totalling $8.1 million against the cap. As of Wednesday, Edmonton has $7.415 million in cap space for next season, according to PuckPedia<\/a>, with roster spots to fill. Those include another goaltender, a defenceman depending on the Nurse trade, and whether they push for a top-six winger.\u00a0Nurse staying \u2018plausible\u2019But Nurse\u2019s control could make a trade tricky, despite there being \u201clegitimate interest\u201d<\/a> according to Friedman, and how much, if at all, the Oilers want to retain on his contract.<\/p>\n

On Monday\u2019s edition of\u00a0Oilers Now, Bob Stauffer alluded to the possibility of a trade not happening.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is a scenario where Darnell Nurse returns to the Edmonton Oilers this year,\u201d said Stauffer, alluding to Chicago and San Jose as destinations that would make sense for the team, but aren\u2019t necessarily on his trade list. <\/p>\n

\u201cThat is a plausible scenario. Some might say that wouldn\u2019t be positive for the Edmonton Oilers. Time will tell in that regard\u2026If it\u2019s Chicago or San Jose, they\u2019ve got lots of room to take on a lot of cap. Is that a different deal than if you\u2019re maybe having to retain a little to trade him?\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIf they\u2019re not on Nurse\u2019s list, they\u2019re not on Nurse\u2019s list\u2026 might he have to expand his list and could he be traded to one of those teams? Perhaps.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

In his last appearance on Oilersnation Everyday<\/a> on Tuesday, Dave Pagnotta of The Fourth Period also suggested the Pennsylvania connection.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cBy the sounds of things, it\u2019ll probably be a more interesting trade than I think we all anticipate,\u201d said Pagnotta. \u201cWhether it\u2019s Pittsburgh or Philly or another team. But it does sound like this is going in an interesting direction.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cHow\u2019s Edmonton going to utilize that? Can they fill other voids on their team as part of it? I would be shocked if goaltending is addressed as part of a Nurse trade, but you know, we\u2019ll wait and see.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Michael Menzies is an Oilersnation columnist and co-host of PreGaming and Oilersnation After Dark. He\u2019s also been the play-by-play voice of the Bonnyville Pontiacs in the AJHL since 2019. With seven years of news experience as the Editor-at-Large of Lakeland Connect in Bonnyville, Menzies collects vinyl, books, and stomach issues. Follow him on X at Menzies_4.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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