Oilers Could Send Darnell Nurse to Sharks in Draft Day Deal – Hockey Writers – Edmonton Oilers

The Edmonton Oilers had a disappointing end to their season, as they were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs in six games by the Anaheim Ducks.

While fans debated who should take the blame, it was clear that the Oilers needed to make some changes if they wanted to make another deep run, and one player who could be a victim is Darnell Nurse.

Nurse’s $9.25 million contract has become an anchor for the Oilers over the past few seasons, and it seems inevitable that they will have to clear his contract, or at least some of it, if they want to make additions to improve this season.

A team that makes some sense as a potential fit is the San Jose Sharks, who have been slightly linked to Nurse, and could be looking to take on his contract as a way to hit the salary cap next season.

In this article, we’ll take a look at a potential trade between the Sharks and Oilers involving Nurse. Remember, this is entirely subjective. Some rumors say the Sharks may want Nurse, but there are no confirmed reports that the two sides have talked about a move.

Oilers Trade Nurse, Get Orlov to Sharks

The truth is, the Oilers probably won’t be able to clear Nesi’s entire contract in a trade. However, removing some of it and moving away from anyone else is their goal.

Nurse has a full no-trade clause, making it difficult for the Oilers to make any kind of move, but considering this is his last season before his trade protection goes into an unchanged no-trade clause, making him join a potential franchise soon would be a surprise.

The Sharks from Dmitry Orlov will help them, but they will also be adding draft players to this deal, which will benefit them as well. The Oilers also only have Orlov for one season, and if it doesn’t work out, they can let him leave in free agency.

Orlov has a list of 15 teams, so he can prevent the Sharks from trading him to the Oilers, but assuming he would be open to joining an Oilers player, this deal is possible.

The deal looks like the Sharks get Nurse, the Oilers’ 2028 third-round pick, the Oilers’ 2027 fifth-round pick, and the Oilers’ 2026 second-round pick in exchange for Orlov.

This deal gets Nurse off the Oilers’ books without having to part with a first-rounder, gets them a new defenseman who can play big minutes if needed, and gives them more flexibility in free agency to fill other holes they may have.

The Sharks add three draft picks, allowing them to bolster their roster, and while it may seem like a big deal for the Oilers to give up a second-round pick, they have two fifth-round picks in 2027 and two third-round picks in 2028, so moving those picks to convince the Sharks to pull the trigger makes it worth it.

The move doesn’t free up a ton of cap space for the Oilers, and some fans would like his entire $9.25 million contract to come off the books, but that’s not the case yet. Orlov is better than Nesi, but not a significant improvement.

That being said, the Oilers are getting a little better on their blue line with only three draft picks in the window allowing them to spend money to help them push for their first Stanley Cup since 1990, and prove that they are willing to do what it takes to help win a championship before their window closes.

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