Nathan Smith
The 2026 NHL off-season is almost upon us, and with the 2026 NHL Draft, the trade period opening up and free agency, things could get chaotic around the league in the next few weeks.
While the list of free agents isn’t quite as exciting as we’ve seen in recent years, there is the potential for plenty of player movement, with teams looking to solidify themselves as contenders to the Stanley Cup in 2027 and beyond. One such team is the Edmonton Oilers, a team looking to capitalize on Connor McDavid‘s two-year contract, with the belief being that if they don’t win in that time, he could look to move on from the only NHL organization he’s ever known.
Darnell Nurse Officially Requests a Trade
Recently, the first domino of the off-season began to fall for the Oilers, as a report from Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman revealed that veteran blue line Darnell Nurse went to the front office and requested a trade.
While he’s still got four years remaining on a deal that pays him $9.25 million per season, Nurse has some value, as he’s proven that he can be a very valuable player on the blue line, but to make a deal happen, the Oilers would likely need to retain some money on his deal. So the question then becomes, who would look to deal for a veteran like Nurse?
Elliotte Friedman Reveals Nurse’s Preferred Destinations
On the latest edition of the 32 Thoughts Podcast, Friedman opened up on the Nurse situation in Edmonton, revealing that he’s got his preferred destinations in mind, stating that the veteran wants to end up on the East Coast if he is dealt.
“I think it’s mostly East, I don’t believe it’s Canada; if there’s a West team, and I stress if, because I don’t know, I would think it would be LA simply because he knows the manager.”
Given that Nurse has spent his entire career in Edmonton, it would make sense if he wants to be on the East Coast, and with several teams out there looking to contend while needing an upgrade on the blue line, he could be an intriguing addition. On top of that, Friedman also notes that Nurse doesn’t want to play for another Canadian team, and given the treatment he received in Edmonton following his monster deal, it makes perfect sense.
Time will tell where the 31-year-old ends up, but with both sides feeling as though it’s time for a change, it’s a matter of when, not if a deal gets done this summer.
