Darnell Nurse’s trade picture is widening, and the reaction from the hockey world came fast.
“There is word this afternoon Darnell Nurse has agreed to expand his list of teams he will accept a trade to. San Jose is one to watch. We will see where it goes.”
That development opens the door a little farther for a move that could suit all sides. Nurse gets a fresh start with a new club, that team gets a player who can still help, and the Oilers free up the $9.25 million in cap space attached to his deal.
For Edmonton, that number matters. For Nurse, the change also arrives after fans had turned on him largely because of the contract and his weak playoff performances.
The response from Oilers fans reflected the mix of relief and urgency around the situation.
Oilers fan Jimothy McGill @DillyDilly97
Great news. Need a top 6 winger (trade), need a middle 6 winger, need a Nurse replacement, ideally need to trade Jarry for another goalie.
It’s not that big of a list. Slow start but it’s how we finish that matters.
Oilers fan Darcy ‘Woodguy’ McLeod @Woodguy55
Rosie (San Jose GM Mike Grier) coming through in the clutch for EDM like he always did when he played here. Love him.
The Edmonton Journal’s Jim Matheson also floated a possible framework if San Jose gets involved.
The Edmonton Journal’s Jim Matheson @jimmathesonnhl
Would Nurse for Toffoli work in an Oiler-Sharks possible trade scenario? Toffoli is 34 making $6m for 2 more years.
But it only works for Oilers if S.J. willing to take whole $9.25 m. Heck if Trouba is making $8.5m now there, Nurse’s contract doesn’t look that onerous.
In Other News...
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Boston also lingers in the background here because of the failed trade-deadline framework that once had Rasmus Andersson heading there before it unraveled, and that history adds another layer to Calgary's offseason intrigue. For now, none of this is close to turning into action, and the bigger point is simply that the Flames are being linked to options that say a lot about how they may want to shape the next stage of the roster, even if a deal is not expected anytime soon. [Read more 🡒]
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TSN floated one such idea, but the fit looks imperfect on paper. The player in question is a wing, and that is already one of Calgarys deeper areas, which makes the match harder to justify for a team trying to sort out its long-term roster balance. Even with a solid recent season behind him, the more realistic path for the Flames may be to wait out the market unless a much cleaner opening develops. [Read more 🡒]
Flames Just Sent A Clear Message About Which Young Players Matter
The Flames made one of those quiet but telling roster-management moves that can shape the summer, issuing qualifying offers to Simon Nemec, Brennan Othmann and William Stromgren as the organization sorts out which young pieces it wants to keep under contract. At the same time, Calgary laid out its 25-man prospect development camp roster, a mix of recent draft picks and undrafted invites that gives a fresh look at the pipeline before the real business of free agency and offseason add-ons heats up.
Development camp runs this week at WinSport, with young players getting an early chance to show where they fit in the organizations plans. The larger picture is still fluid, and theres plenty of speculation about what Calgary might do next in free agency, but the list of who got a qualifying offer, and who didnt, already says plenty about which players the club views as part of the conversation going forward. [Read more 🡒]