Pittsburgh has surfaced as a potential location for Darnell Nurse and the Edmonton Oilers, who may be closer to a split than the majority of people had anticipated.
David Pagnotta, an NHL insider, claimed on Sunday on the NHL Rumour Report that the Oilers and Penguins have previously traded proposals for a possible deal and that there is a route forward.
That is not unclear trade rhetoric. That involves two front offices trading real packages.
It’s a question of whether Kyle Dubas actually wants to sign this contract.
The nurse has a $9.25 million cap hit. On the surface, it’s hard to defend that statistic for a defenseman who recorded 24 points and a -12 rating in 82 games this season.
He had just one point in his last ten games. He’s scored no points in his previous five games.
The basic figures haven’t been kind, and he stopped producing offense a long time ago. That minus-12 over a full regular season is the kind of stat that follows a player into every negotiating room.
What Pittsburgh would actually be trading for
Nurse is not a passenger. He still logs real minutes, and his playoff numbers told a different story, finishing plus-4 in 6 games against Anaheim.
But here is the honest read: you are not buying a top-pair defenseman. You are buying a big-body left side presence at 31, with term, on a contract that makes him almost unmovable without retaining salary.
Pittsburgh finished 41-25-16 with 98 points, and Dan Muse needs pieces that move the needle in the playoffs. Whether Nurse does that at $9.25 million is a genuinely open debate.
Edmonton went 41-30-11 for 93 points. Stan Bowman has watched this roster miss the second round again, and moving Nurse’s contract clears room and resets the blue line.
The two clubs already have a read on each other. Pittsburgh beat Edmonton 6-2 in January. Edmonton had taken the earlier meeting 6-4 in December. They know what they’re looking at.
The post from Bleed Oil Blue quoting Pagnotta went up Sunday afternoon and landed with real weight for Oilers fans.
Whether Bowman lands Nurse somewhere he can accept the cap or Pittsburgh blinks on the ask, this trade conversation has legs.
And Edmonton’s defense core will look different next fall. The only real question is how different.
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