New report emerges: Oilers owning up to their mistake regarding Darnell Nurse?
The Edmonton Oilers are looking to offload salary cap space and improve their defence, and according to recent reports on the NHL's trade blocks, they may be ready to admit their Darnell Nurse mistake.
Daily FaceOff's recent Top Trade Target list shows Nurse is ranked 25th. Frank Seravalli explained the rationale for trading Nurse, noting his inconsistent performance, especially during the playoffs, where he made poor puck management decisions. Despite having the contract and opportunity of a top-pair defenseman, Nurse's play has been costly for the Oilers.
Nurse's contract is valued at $9.25 million for the next six years, and he will be 30 next season. He set a league record for the worst plus-minus in this year's playoffs with a -15 rating. His offensive production is modest, with ten goals and 32 points in 81 games. A contending team needs better performance from a player with a $9.25 million salary.
While trading Nurse could address their defensive needs, it's more likely the Oilers will move Brett Kulak or Cody Ceci and seek a rental defenseman with a cheaper contract. However, if the Oilers aim to optimize their roster, they might consider trading Nurse to upgrade their defence significantly.
Source: Daily Faceoff
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| POLL | ||
Should the Oilers entertain the idea of potentially retaining money on a Darnell Nurse trade to get him off the roster? | ||
| Yes | 463 | 78.1 % |
| No | 97 | 16.4 % |
| See Results | 33 | 5.6 % |
| List of polls | ||
