Darnell Nurse has a busy market, with a fan report listing four teams that have called Edmonton: Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, LA and San Jose.
The post came from Brandon (@TheCity0fChamps), a fan account. He says six or seven teams have called, with some asking Edmonton to retain salary and others wanting the Oilers to take back a contract.
That framing matters. Nurse is 31 on a $9.25M cap hit, coming off 24 points and a minus-12, and Edmonton's real goal is cap relief to fund a goalie.
Treat the specifics as unconfirmed, given the source. But the four names are worth gaming out.
What follows is speculation, grounded in each team's actual roster.
-
What each caller could realistically offer
Start with the cleanest fit. LA is run by Ken Holland, Edmonton's former GM, and Jim Matheson previously floated a Nurse-for-Joel Edmundson swap.
Edmundson carries a $3.85M hit with a plus-14. That kind of trade saves the Oilers real money and hands them a steadier, cheaper veteran. It's the most logical path here.
San Jose is the cap-space option. The Sharks sit 22nd and are rebuilding around a young core led by Macklin Celebrini's 115 points.
They could simply absorb Nurse if Edmonton attaches a sweetener. That gives the Oilers clean relief but costs a pick, which is the opposite of an asset return.
Pittsburgh is the trickiest fit. Kyle Dubas is retooling around an aging group, and the blue line already carries Erik Karlsson at $11.5M.
That cap picture suggests the Penguins would more likely ask Edmonton to retain, or send a mid contract back rather than build a package.
Philadelphia is younger on defense, with Travis Sanheim and Jamie Drysdale anchoring things. Frank Seravalli-type reads aside, Anthony Baskow has said Nurse doesn't obviously fit there.
A deal would probably be a swap, with someone like Rasmus Ristolainen and his $5.1M coming back, more than a pure add.
Here's my read: LA is the cleanest and most sensible of the four. The Holland connection, the Edmundson framework and the mutual need all line up. The other three feel closer to due-diligence calls.
There's also the bonus complication. Chris Johnston noted a $6M sum due this summer that could delay any Nurse trade.
So expect Edmonton to hunt for the structure that maximizes cap relief. Of the callers, LA is the one to watch.
Which team is the best trade partner for the Oilers on Nurse?
Also read on Markerzone.com:
Pierre LeBrun just exposed why The Vegas Golden Knights wouldn't let The Edmonton Oilers near Bruce Cassidy
