Darnell Nurse's trade status for Oilers depends on a few factors

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Darnell Nurse's trade status for Oilers depends on a few factors originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

In a bunch of ways, Darnell Nurse seems like a logical trade candidate for the Edmonton Oilers.

But for a deal to ever get over the line, they'll have to figure some things out first regarding the defenseman.

For one, Nurse is owed $9.25 million per season through the 2029-30 campaign. That's a really tough rate for any team to swallow.

"A hard-nosed defenseman who blocks shots, eats minutes and plays with edge, Nurse has been an important Oiler for more than a decade," The Athletic's Chris Johnston wrote on Thursday as he ranked Nurse No. 6 on his offseason trade board. "The only problem? He’s paid like a cornerstone player, not just a really good one, and for an organization operating close to the salary cap in a narrow contention window, there’s a significant opportunity cost attached to Nurse’s inefficient contract."

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Another dilemma? Nurse has a no-movement clause in that contract, too.

"He’ll have a major say in what does (or doesn’t) happen because of a no-movement clause, but Edmonton is currently exploring all avenues to improve its short-term odds of chasing a Stanley Cup," Johnston writes.

If the Oilers can somehow free up Nurse's spot on the cap sheet, they can do their best to make an improvement at another spot, or at least find a defensive player who is a lot cheaper than Nurse.

Edmonton has some work to do to maximize the next season or two with Connor McDavid, so even if some moves seem drastic, that could be the way forward for the Oilers.

Nurse has been reliable, but at his cost, he may be more appealing off the books rather than on them.

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