Jeff Marek is the newest person talking about the possibility of Darnell Nurse being traded to San Jose, joining Bob Stauffer and Frank Pagnotta, who have also mentioned it this week.
During his show on Wednesday, Marek asked if the Sharks, who have many young forwards, could send one of them to Edmonton as part of a trade for Nurse. He specifically mentioned Collin Graf.
That’s three reliable people within three days suggesting the same trade idea. When there’s this much talk, it usually means something is really happening.
Nurse has a salary cap charge of $9.25 million and is 31 years old. In the regular season, he scored 7 goals and made 17 assists, ending up with a -12 rating over 82 games for the Oilers.
The playoff numbers weren’t impressive either. He played six games against Anaheim and didn’t score any points before Edmonton was eliminated in the first round.
Stan Bowman now has to deal with a contract that has been highly discussed in Edmonton. To get rid of it, he needs a team willing to take on the length of the contract, and San Jose has the space and time to do it.
Why Collin Graf would be a good fit for the Oilers top six
Graf isn’t just a name to fill out a roster. The 23-year-old scored 21 goals and gave 25 assists for a total of 46 points in 81 games on a Sharks team that allowed 292 goals.
Being a +6 on a team that finished 22nd overall is a good sign that scouts take note of. He also scored 4 game-winning goals, which is impressive for a young winger learning how to finish games strong.
His salary cap hit is $941,666. That’s the kind of numbers Edmonton hopes for when considering their future with McDavid.
Ty Dellandrea, who often comes up in fan-made trade ideas, doesn’t add much to the team. The 25-year-old player scored only 2 goals and had 9 assists in 46 games, finishing with a -18 rating, and he hasn’t scored a single point in his last 10 games.
The issue is what Edmonton would truly miss if Nurse leaves. He participated in all 82 games. Losing a solid defenseman like him means they would have to rely on a newcomer or take a risk on a free agent.
Bowman’s first big challenge in his role is figuring out how to trade the most talked-about contract in the team without making a bad deal.
The Sharks have an advantage with their youth, time, and control. Meanwhile, the Oilers need to act quickly and already have one of the highest salary caps in the league for their defense.
If this trade is going to happen, it needs to take place before July. If it drags on, the team that doesn’t need to rush will have the upper hand in negotiations.
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