Signs are increasingly pointing toward Edmonton Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse playing elsewhere in the near future. A published story projecting Nurse's future broke Thursday afternoon from Sportsnet writer and Oilers beat reporter Mark Spector.
Nurse has one more season before his 10-team trade list is to be submitted. But in his piece, Spector reports that Oilers General Manager Stan Bowman "will be speaking with Nurse in the coming days about his wishes." Spector mentions as sources several current and former employees, conversations with which "all lead to the same place: The Oilers are ready and willing to trade Nurse as soon as they are able."
Spector says that Nurse declined an invitation to comment on the story. Bowman "stated that he would not speak to media before meeting with the player. And likely not afterwards, either."
Mark Spector is a very well-connected sports journalist. There are precious few media members in Edmonton around the club more, at home, on the road and during the off-season as well.
A First Round Draft Pick, seventh overall in 2013, Darnell Nurse is thirty-one. He is about to enter Year 5 of his 8-year contract.
My Take
Here is what you would be faced to replace on your roster if Nurse were to depart:
- Darnell Nurse is an elite skater, has a wide wingspan to help get into lanes and deflect pucks, a particularly good shot, and the ability to transport the puck. He arrived at the scene with an earned reputation as physical and difficult to play against. He has not been averse to dropping the mitts. A part of the Oilers leadership group, wears an "A".
- Nurse has been a significant minute muncher for the club. He has rung up nine consecutive seasons of 21:00+ TOI per game. Consistent, although 2025-26 was his lowest TOI (20:58) since 2016-17.
- Nurse has also been a model of reliability in terms of injury. COVID aside, he has played seventy-one or more games on eight separate occasions. An earned reputation of playing through injury.
- Nurse has also been a two-way performer, with a start line of 88-236-324 in 798 NHL Regular Season games. He scored 16 in 2020-21 and was 12-31-43 in 82 GP in 2022-23.
When you read all that, it is easy to go "and why are we thinking of trading this guy again"? Fair comment.
However
- Nurse's point production has been on a four-year slide (albeit with little PP time). Effective at skating the puck, his passing game has never reached the next level.
- Nurse's physical play has fallen off noticeably, from a career high 196 Hits in 2021-22 to 166 this past season (just 136 the year prior). Not as hard to play against.
- Most troubling, his performance in the post-season has been a going concern. He has been unable to translate solid regular season play into the playoffs.
- In Spector's article, Nurse's hockey sense is called into question. Past coaches pointed to this as an area of concern surrounding the player.
