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There have been multiple changes to the Toronto Maple Leafs over the last several months, not the least of which were the removals of Brad Treliving as general manager and, with new GM John Chayka in charge, the dismissal of head coach Craig Berube.

Meanwhile, there remains heavy speculation regarding the futures of the likes of Auston Matthews, Morgan Rielly, and Matthew Knies with the franchise, as all three have been involved in trade rumors. In fact, it was recently reported that the Maple Leafs had a deal in place to send Knies to the divisional rival Montreal Canadiens that fell through at the last minute.

Now, the Maple Leafs are rumored to be in the mix as a potential landing spot for a high-priced defenseman in another Canadian market who could soon be on the move himself.

Do The Maple Leafs Make Sense As A Landing Spot For Darnell Nurse?

According to Lance Hornby of The Toronto Sun, there are multiple connections that could eventually bring Edmonton Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse to the Maple Leafs.

Hornby began by noting the proximity of Scotiabank Arena in downtown Toronto to places in Nurse’s youth, along with his connection to current Maple Leafs forward Max Domi.

“Scotiabank Arena is not far from where Nurse played minor hockey for the Don Mills Flyers and a short drive from his roots in Hamilton where his father Richard was a receiver with the CFL Tiger-Cats,” he wrote.

“Nurse is a long-time friend of former Leaf Tie Domi, whose son Max plays on Toronto, though is currently out indefinitely with complications from off-season surgery. While it’s been downplayed so far in potential player personnel moves, the Domis, new Leaf general manager John Chayka and senior executive assistant Mats Sundin are all friends which could influence Chayka getting to the head of the line for Nurse.”

Of course, it won’t be easy to facilitate a move, considering Nurse’s hefty salary cap hit of $9.25 million.

“But any deal is easier said than done,” he noted. “While it was earlier reported by Sportsnet that the team was shopping the 31-year-old Nurse and on Thursday confirmed that Nurse was requesting a move, the twist to all this is his no-trade clause until July 1, 2027.”

Nurse does have a no-trade clause on the 8-year, $74 million contract he signed with the Oilers in 2021 which runs through 2029-30.

Darnell Nurse Has Requested A Trade From The Oilers

Nurse, whom the Oilers selected in the first round (seventh overall) of the 2013 NHL Draft, has played his entire career in northern Alberta. However, he’s come under fire in recent years for his play in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

In 798 career games, Nurse has scored 88 goals with 236 assists. He’s also added seven goals and 22 assists in 100 career postseason games.

Acquiring Nurse from the Oilers would likely require multiple assets on the part of Chayka, along with taking on a considerable financial burden given his salary cap hit. However, it would be nothing short of a bold move, right or wrong.