$9M Oilers Player lands on top trade target list

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Liam McCormick
July 14, 2024 (6:12 PM)

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The Edmonton Oilers are currently looking to offload salary cap space and find a way to improve their defence, and they could do both by moving Darnell Nurse.

According to Daily FaceOff's recent Top Trade target list, Darnell Nurse is currently the 25th in most likely assets to be traded in the offseason. Frank Seravalli clearly laid out the case for trading Nurse.

»He's already not on the first unit power play or penalty kill, he's stuck on the second pair, and that doesn't leave him much opportunity to play up to his $9.25 million cap hit.»

It seems like every time Nurse is on the ice it's an adventure, especially on the playoffs. He frequently just makes poor puck management decisions that cost the Oilers. Nurse has the opportunity and the contract of a top pair defenceman, but continuing to play him in that role is only costing the Oilers.

Nurse has a contract value of $9.25M for the next 6 years, will be 30 years old next season, and set a league record for worst plus minus this playoffs with a brutal -15. His offensive production isn't anything special, with 10 goals and 32 points in 81 games. Simply put, a contending team needs better play out of a $9.25M player.

The Oilers need a meaningful upgrade on defence, and trading Darnell Nurse isn't the only way to do it. It's far more likely that they trade Brett Kulak or Cody Ceci, and try to find a rental defenceman in trade on a cheap contract. However, if the Oilers truly wanted to explore the best way to construct their roster, they might look at getting out of the Nurse contract, and upgrading the defence.

Source: Daily Faceoff

Frank Seravalli's Trade Target List