The San Jose Sharks have made a play for Edmonton Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse, according to Frank Seravalli.
There's a catch. San Jose isn't on Nurse's trade list, and he's refusing to waive his no-trade clause.
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That's a real wall for GM Mike Grier to run into. You can want a player all you want. If he won't waive a clause, the conversation ends before it starts.
Nurse posted 7 goals and 24 points in 82 games this season at a $9,250,000 cap hit, going minus-12. Those numbers haven't moved the needle for Edmonton, which is exactly why GM Stan Bowman has been fielding calls all offseason.
San Jose finished 39-35-8 this season, twenty-second overall with 86 points, under head coach Ryan Warsofsky. They allowed 292 goals, a number that explains why Grier is shopping for defensive help.
Nurse's no-trade list is becoming the real story in Edmonton
A no-trade clause works exactly like this. The player picks his list, and everyone else outside it doesn't get a phone call answered, no matter how much interest is real.
This is the second team-specific roadblock to surface in the Nurse situation this offseason. Earlier reporting already noted other suitors are distracted chasing names like Zachary Werenski and John Carlson instead.
Now add a player who simply doesn't want to go to San Jose. That's two separate problems stacking on top of each other for a team trying to move a $9,250,000 cap hit.
Edmonton went 41-30-11 this season before losing to Anaheim in six games in the playoffs. The roster needs change on the back end, but Nurse holding real say over his destination limits how fast that change can happen.
Bowman's leverage keeps shrinking the longer this drags into summer.
Should Darnell Nurse waive his no-trade clause to facilitate a deal?
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