The Darnell Nurse trade market just heated up again, and the Edmonton Oilers are back in the middle of it with San Jose and two other clubs now involved.
David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reported Monday that the Oilers and Sharks recently re-engaged in Nurse trade discussions.
According to Pagnotta, the Anaheim Ducks and Philadelphia Flyers are also in talks.
And here's the wrinkle that makes this more than a normal rumour: San Jose would need Nurse's blessing before any deal gets done, same as Anaheim.
Nurse carries a $9.25 million cap hit.
That's not a number you move without knowing the player wants to go.
He has the leverage here, full stop.
Nurse's numbers make the asking price complicated
The 31-year-old defenceman played all 82 regular season games this year, finishing with 7 goals, 17 assists, and a -12 rating.
In the playoffs, he went minus-0 over six games without a single point.
That's not what a $9.25 million defenceman looks like on a scoresheet.
His last 10 games of the regular season: 1 assist, 5 games played, a +5 rating. So the underlying numbers had some life at the end.
Still, any team absorbing that contract is betting on a bounceback, not a sure thing.
The Flyers finished with 98 points, third in their division. They have the cap structure and the organizational appetite for a veteran presence on the blue line.
The Ducks went 43-33-6 but their last 10 were a rough 2-6-2 stretch. Pat Verbeek may be looking to add experience before the ceiling closes.
San Jose is the interesting one. At 39-35-8, the Sharks improved significantly this season, and GM Mike Grier has made no secret that he wants to keep building.
Whether that building includes a $9.25 million defenceman who needs to approve the deal is a question only Nurse can answer right now.
The Oilers finished 41-30-11 and GM Stan Bowman clearly wants to reshape this roster. Moving Nurse would open significant cap flexibility.
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But you don't get that flexibility unless Nurse says yes, and he has zero obligation to make anyone's summer easier.
Should Darnell Nurse waive his no-trade clause to force a fresh start in San Jose?
Also read on Markerzone.com:
Elliotte Friedman provides confirmation involving details of a Darnell Nurse trade away from Edmonton
