Edmonton was reportedly very eager to trade a key player, but this is where things didn’t go well:
The Edmonton Oilers might have been closer to making a big change at the trade deadline than anyone thought.
As per David Pagnotta from the Fourth Period, the Oilers were actively trying to trade their defenseman Darnell Nurse. They even had talks with the Toronto Maple Leafs about a deal that could have sent Nurse to the East.
“They put him on the market for at least one team, but that team said no,” Pagnotta explained. He also mentioned that Edmonton talked to Toronto before the deadline to see if they could work something out.
The report shows that the Oilers were looking into big changes. Nurse, who has a salary cap of $9.25 million, has been an important player for Edmonton for a long time. Trading him, even if they kept some salary, would have given the team more options as they tried to change their lineup.
Even with all their efforts, the Leafs decided not to go forward. Their reluctance suggests that despite Edmonton being open to discussions, worries about Nurse’s contract and how he would fit into their team may have been too big to ignore.
There were also other factors in play. Edmonton showed interest in other players, including Nicolas Roy, who eventually signed with the Colorado Avalanche. This shows just how complicated the potential trade might have been. Instead, the Oilers decided to acquire Jason Dickinson from the Chicago Blackhawks to strengthen their center position.
The fact that Nurse’s name came up is important. As one of the players who has been with the team the longest, right after Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, his potential availability shows that every option is on the table for Edmonton.
As the offseason gets closer, the Oilers are definitely a team to keep an eye on. If people start talking about Nurse again, it won’t just be another trade gossip: it could signal a big change for the team’s future.
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