The Edmonton Oilers are still working the Darnell Nurse situation, but the list may not stay fixed for long.
On Sportsnet’s 32 Thoughts: The Podcast, Elliotte Friedman said Edmonton is trying to get Nurse to expand the three-team list that currently includes Boston, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. He added that Philadelphia likely needs money to move out before anything can happen, and that the Bruins would also need things to fall into place.
“For the Flyers, I just think money’s got to go out for him to come in,” Friedman said.
He also said the Oilers and Penguins ran into a different obstacle: Pittsburgh showed interest, but Edmonton would have had to take salary back, and they weren’t willing to do that.
“I think Pittsburgh was interested, but Edmonton had to take money back, which they were not willing to do,” Friedman said.
There was also mention of the Flyers’ possible move involving Rasmus Ristolainen, but Friedman said that as of the weekend, nothing there had them thrilled. He noted that could still change quickly.
The other wrinkle is Anaheim. Friedman said there’s noise around the Ducks having interest, even though Nurse shoots left and Anaheim has blue-line holes to fill. But at the moment, Nurse has not agreed to add Anaheim to his list.
“So we’ll see where that plays out over the week,” Friedman said.
The podcast also touched on Bowen Byram, with Friedman saying an extension with the Chicago Blackhawks appears likely to land somewhere between four and eight years. He said Byram can sign on July 1, expects a deal to get done, and does not believe it will be an eight-year contract.
“I do think we’ll see a Byronm Bowen Byram an extension. He can sign on July one, I think that’ll happen.
I don’t think it’ll be an eight year deal, but I think it’ll be, the word was he was only willing to sign for four. It’s not going to be four, it’s going to be longer than that.
I don’t think it’ll be eight. But it’s going to be a pretty big number I think.”
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Kyle Davidson Just Put Blackhawks Fans On Notice This Offseason
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There is also a quieter message in the way Davidson framed the conversation: the current group may be good enough to take into the season if nothing appealing materializes. For a team still sorting out its long-term shape, that kind of flexibility matters, but it also leaves Chicago watching the market closely to see whether the right upgrade becomes available. [Read more 🡒]