Darnell Nurse and coach Mike Babcock are still staring at the same problem after Edmonton's expected draft-weekend trade never got across the line.
The Oilers entered the draft with real heat around Nurse's future.
For weeks, league chatter pointed to a move happening around draft weekend, with Edmonton trying to turn a long-running situation into a clean roster reset.
It didn't happen.
Instead, the draft opened and the Oilers were still carrying one of the biggest blue-line decisions in the league, with no finish to a deal that had serious traction.
According to Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports, Edmonton had been “actively exploring trade options” for Nurse, and there was more than one path on the table.
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Anaheim pushed into the mix, and Pittsburgh stayed heavily involved. That gave Edmonton options, but it didn't solve the biggest issue sitting over the process.
The no-trade clause still controls the board for Nurse
Nurse's no-trade clause remained the pressure point, and that changed the shape of everything.
His reported list of approved destinations included Pittsburgh, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and Boston. Anaheim's interest mattered, but only if it matched where Nurse was willing to go.
That disconnect appears to have jammed the whole process.
A team can want the player. A front office can want the cap flexibility. But if the approved list and the market do not line up, the deal stalls fast.
Stan Bowman also refused to force it.
The Oilers' general manager chose not to rush a move on draft night, which tells you Edmonton did not like the final return enough to bend on its price or its timeline.
Pittsburgh still felt like the cleanest fit.
Kyle Dubas has made it clear he wants experienced help around Sidney Crosby, and Nurse would check that box as a top-four defenseman who can still handle heavy minutes.
But even that lane stayed open without closing.
As the article put it, “The question was never if he would be moved, but when and where.” That still looks like the right read, even after the draft passed.
Now Edmonton rolls toward free agency with Nurse still on the books at 9250000.
The trade didn't die. It just missed the moment everyone expected.
Do you think Nurse has a lot of trade value?
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