Why Oilers may be looking to move on from Darnell Nurse

If that is indeed the case, the 31-year-old defenceman, who has four years left on his contract, would control the process this summer because of his no-movement clause. But Nurse’s trade protection converts into a modified no-trade clause after next season, which could spur action.

“It’s clear (the Oilers are) going to say to (Nurse), ‘This is the last year you have control. Do you want to work with us or not?’” Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman said last week on 32 Thoughts: The Podcast.

Nurse has been a source of scorn for Oilers fans since he signed his eight-year, $74 million contract that took effect in the 2022-23 season. He entered that season as the seventh-highest-paid defenceman in the NHL at $9.25 million per year. For now, he will begin next season as the 11th-highest-paid defenceman, according to Puckpedia.

At that price, it is fair to expect more from Nurse, whose role has diminished over the life of his contract. The emergence of Evan Bouchard (one of the few defencemen who is paid more per year than Nurse) has cut into Nurse’s ice time, which has fallen from 23:30 per game in 2022-23 to 20:58 per game this season.

Four of the nine defencemen who had bigger cap hits than Nurse this season — Bouchard, Norris Trophy winner Zach Werenski, Charlie McAvoy and Rasmus Dahlin — averaged at least 24 minutes of ice time per game. Four others — Seth Jones, Adam Fox, Erik Karlsson and Drew Doughty — averaged at least 23 minutes per game. Noah Dobson was the low man at 22:29 per game. (Thomas Harley, who will make around $10.6 million per year starting next season, played 23:03 per game.)

Nurse’s quality of competition and offensive-zone start rate at five-on-five have held relatively steady over the past four seasons. But what has changed significantly is the amount of time he has shared the ice with Oilers captain Connor McDavid. In the first season of Nurse’s contract, 35.6 per cent of his total five-on-five ice time came with McDavid on the ice. This season, it was 23.8 per cent.

It should come as no surprise that Nurse’s numbers took a hit when he and McDavid were separated. Nurse’s expected-goal rate at five-on-five dropped from 57.5 per cent with McDavid to 47.1 per cent without him. The Oilers outscored opponents 21-15 with Nurse and McDavid on the ice, but were outscored 54-35 when Nurse did not have McDavid with him at five-on-five.

Nurse has also spent less time with Leon Draisaitl at five-on-five over the years, going from 36.9 per cent in 2022-23 to 27.9 per cent in 2025-26. As Spector wrote in his report, without the security of McDavid or Draisaitl, Nurse “has found his place as a No. 4 or 5 defenceman.

Those roles call for a salary in the $4-5.5 million range at most.”

It is difficult to imagine another team taking on Nurse at full price, but he does have value. The six-foot-four, 215-pound Nurse has missed just eight games over the past four seasons — seven in the regular season and one in the playoffs. He can also contribute offensively without power-play time, ranking 30th in offence-generating plays per game at five-on-five out of around 200 defencemen who appeared in at least 40 games this season.

The clock is ticking for the Oilers to win the Stanley Cup after a couple of near-misses. McDavid will be an unrestricted free agent in two years, and Draisaitl’s declaration after the playoffs that Edmonton has “taken big steps backwards” only ratcheted up the pressure on the organization. (Reportedly, it will be up to new coach Mike Babcock to help steer the Oilers back in the right direction.)

As one of the longest-tenured members of the Oilers, Nurse could decide he wants to give it one more go before he loses some control of his career. If so, he needs to raise his game.

“My experience talking to (Nurse, McDavid, Draisaitl and forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins), they recognize that when you don’t reach your desired goals that you do have to find a way to be better,” Oilers general manager Stan Bowman told reporters after firing coach Kris Knoblauch last month. “I don’t think anybody was walking out feeling great about where the team is. There’s an element of responsibility that’s necessary.”