Boston Bruins Trade Package for Land Oilers’ Darnell Nurse – Hockey Writers – Boston Bruins

As we march closer to free agency, the Boston Bruins have been largely inactive during the NHL draft. We saw them trade Fabian Lysell, who has a chance to start over with the Colorado Avalanche.

There are still holes in the list that have been ignored, namely, the blue line. Another option has emerged as a trade chip for former Stanley Cup contenders, Edmonton Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse. The only problem is his annual average hit (AAV) of a whopping $9.25 million, and the lack of cap space for the Bruins ($7.715 million per PuckPedia).

The Bruins have been linked to an Oilers defenseman, who would add size and volume that has been missing on the blue line. According to David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period, the Original Six team was on the nursing list for the shelters.

“There are a couple of options available right now in regards to Edmonton and Darnell’s nursing move,” Pagnotta revealed on the June 27 episode of the Hello Hockey podcast. “Yesterday I reported that Boston is another team on his list that he would like to go to. But I don’t believe anything has happened in that situation. It sounds like Philadelphia and Anaheim are fighting this to try to get Darnell Nurse.”

Connor Green of the Bruins Benders Podcast gave us an idea of ​​what he could offer the roster as a left tackle.

Nurse could be a solid option on the top pairing, giving defenseman Charlie McAvoy some breathing room on the ice, as the defensive defenseman will use his size (6-foot-4, 215 pounds) to create space.

He can play on the penalty kill and power play and has averaged 20:05 of ice time this season. In addition to being a capable defender who can eat up minutes, he’s not afraid to put up a body, adding 136 blocks and 161 hits in 2025-26.

If you’re not familiar with his game, here’s a scouting report from Sports Forecaster:

An interesting combination of skill and snarl, he can effectively play big minutes every game. He skates well, can create a lot of offense and contribute on both special teams. He’s willing to beat bodies and get in front of the shot, and he’ll step up to protect his teammates if needed. He has to be careful not to put himself out of position if he is going to hit too hard or jump into the game.

Nurse is an improvement from the other players on the Bruins’ left side when we look at this from the outside looking in. He played all 798 games of his NHL career in an Oilers uniform and recorded 324 points (88 goals, 236 assists), reaching the Stanley Cup Final twice under head coach Kris Knoblauch.

What Would a Darnell Nurse Exchange Look Like?

Nurse’s $9.25 million AAV contract is already cost-prohibitive for the Bruins, who are in the midst of a retool, and to make the deal work, general manager (GM) Stan Bowman will have to keep a percentage of his salary.

If this doesn’t happen, GM Don Sweeney can get a third party involved to make the math work for all involved. However, that is one hurdle that both the Oilers and Bruins must overcome if they are serious about this feat.

There were plenty of trades out there involving Mason Lohrei (which would free the Bruins of $3.25 million in cap space); you’d probably think the pick would have to stick, especially if Bowman keeps any portion of his salary.

Another option would be a one-man trade, Hampus Lindholm for Nurse, which would be an easy option, but the Oilers would need to keep to make the numbers work again.

While both look like solid options, Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal doesn’t believe Lohrei would be a good fit.

They want to move on another defenseman Mason Lohrei, 25. The Oilers would like this amount, $3.25 million for one more year, then a restricted free agent. But Lohrei calls for a third pairing with Ty Emberson. He is not a solid defender. He was a great player who moved to defense in his youth. A good skater, likes to hit the puck, a child prince, some temerity on his end.

– from Oilers Notes: Darnell Nurse’s Trade Landscape Has Changed, Edmonton Journal, 06/27/26, Jim Matheson

The Bruins have to make a quick, but informed decision, as they can be beaten by other teams that can afford an offensive defenseman, the Anaheim Ducks, who have the chops and cap space to make a trade. Although in the article above, Matheson believes that Rasmus Ristolainen may be a better option for the Ducks if he moves on from Radko Gudas and Jacob Trouba.

In the end, it will come down to which team Nurse is willing to waive his no-movement clause.

Transfer Money to Make It Work

The Bruins have been linked to several defensemen in the past two days, and if they plan to add “piss and vinegar” to Mongikazi, they will need to prioritize the cap to make this happen. The Bruins need help on the left side as McAvoy’s partner this past season was Jonathan Aspirot, who does not have the same skill set as Nurse.