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Edmonton Oilers Ask Core Players to Consider Trades, Response Sparks Speculation

Originally posted on Blade of Steel | By Tom Banks | Last updated Jul 14, 2025 11:06 AM ET

The Edmonton Oilers have made a few trades this off-season, but reportedly, they've tried to engage other veterans like Darnell Nurse and Adam Henrique in potential trade talks.

This summer has been one of many changes for the Edmonton Oilers, with the team adding Andrew Mangiapane and Isaac Howard, while seeing the likes of Corey Perry, Connor Brown and Evander Kane leave via free agency or trade.

One trade that everyone saw coming involved Viktor Arvidsson, who was traded to the Boston Bruins, and later on, we learned that it was the team that came to not only Arvidsson, but other veterans on the team and asking if they would be willing to accept a trade.

Clearly, Arvidsson was, but neither Darnell Nurse nor Adam Henrique were, and given that they're now both staying, and in potentially diminished roles as a result, this could create some tension moving forward in 2025/26.

Both Nurse and Henrique have no-movement clauses in their current contracts, and while it's unclear exactly how firm the question and how firm the answer from each player was, it's definitely a topic that has been broached at some point in the Oilers camp this off-season.

With the Oilers pushing for another spot in the Stanley Cup Finals in 2025/26, the last thing they would want is any drama or upheaval in the locker room, so the hope is that in the coming months, both Henrique and Nurse can move past what could have been a rough conversation with the front office.

Ultimately, both realize what task they have in front of them as the Oilers look to finally climb the mountain and claim the Stanley Cup, so this may not end up being a big deal, but with the team already asking once, this situation could be one to keep a close eye on.

This article first appeared on Blade of Steel and was syndicated with permission.

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