• 0 Shares

• Updated Jun 24, 2026 at 10:30pm

In a recent development out of Edmonton, veteran defenseman Darnell Nurse has reportedly asked the organization to explore a trade, with growing signs pointing toward an eventual split between the towering blueliner and the Oilers.

That said, any potential move is complicated by several significant hurdles facing general manager Stan Bowman, most notably Nurse’s substantial $9.25 million annual cap hit, which could narrow the market of interested teams.

Even so, Edmonton would be aiming to extract strong value in any deal involving the defenseman. While his recent playoff performances have drawn criticism, Nurse still logged heavy minutes and remained one of the club’s most utilized players, trailing only Connor McDavid and Evan Bouchard in average ice time.

But the Oilers, who have recently hired Mike Babcock as their head coach along with D.J. Smith as an assistant, could potentially reconsider dealing away Nurse considering the recent words from Smith.

New Edmonton Oilers Assistant Coach D.J. Smith Spoke Positively Of Darnell Nurse

During a recent interview with Jason Gregor of Sports 1440, Smith, who coached Nurse in the IIHF World Championships, spoke glowingly of the towering defenseman and referenced their previous experience together.

“I think with his length and athleticism, he can be an elite penalty killer in this league,” he said. “I coached him at the Worlds, and we had a 93% kill and net 100%, and he was the first guy out the door. I like to be aggressive, and he hasn’t really played that system (In EDM). He’s been more of a sit at the net and make reads kind of play.”

When asked about Nurse’s potential future with the Oilers, Smith answered that isn’t up to him.

“It’s not my business if he returns or not. That is his family and Stan’s, but I would certainly welcome him back,” Smith added.