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May 14, 2025; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Adin Hill (33) makes a save against Edmonton Oilers right wing Connor Brown (28) during the second period of game five of the second round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

Insider Shuts Down Darnell Nurse Trade Rumours

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers
By Jesse Courville-Lynch | Last updated Jul 1, 2025 3:05 PM ET

The Edmonton Oilers have an interesting summer ahead of them. While they have to soon shift their focus onto signing Connor McDavid to a contract extension, they currently have their eyes set on how they can improve their team in free agency and fill some holes as they try to make another deep run into the playoffs next season. Viktor Arvidsson was traded to the Boston Bruins on Tuesday (Jul. 1), which has cleared up some cap space, but fans ran wild with a crazy theory on social media the other night, as rumours spread of a potential Darnell Nurse trade.

These rumours, which were started after some independent analysts and pundits claimed Nurse might be on the way out as a cap casualty, were shut down by a trusted insider.

Lots of chatter in various circles about Darnell Nurse last night and this morning. My understanding is there's nothing to it at this point. Lots can change quickly but as of now it's not a thing.
— Ryan Rishaug (@TSNRyanRishaug) June 27, 2025

The Oilers haven’t been overly active as the offseason gets underway, but they will still need to figure out a way to improve their team with limited cap space. To get that done, though, it won’t be through moving Nurse, as he is locked up long-term with full trade protection, so those discussions can be put to rest.

Oilers Lose Players, Could Still Have Strong Offseason

The Oilers lost Corey Perry and Connor Brown on the first day of free agency, and they will have to figure out a way to replace them. Perry signed with the Los Angeles Kings on a one-year contract, while Brown signed with the New Jersey Devils on a four-year deal, and both were key pieces to the Oiles’ success over the past couple of seasons and into the playoffs.

They have some money to spend this summer, and could find some affordable options to fill out their bottom-six forward group. Ideally, they can find someone who can play in their top-six forward group who is willing to take a decent discount to play for a contender like the Oilers, but it isn’t the strongest free agent class by any means.

Someone like Andrew Mangiapane would be a fantastic addition to their roster, but there is a strong possibility he will have plenty of suitors this summer and he could fall out of their price range. Adding depth pieces like Klim Kostin could be a smart move, but that can’t be all they do this offseason.

Either way, fans are hoping Nurse can bounce back and provide stability on the Oilers’ blue line next season. For the first time in a long time, the Oilers have a strong blue line and don’t need to worry about finding a defender on the trade market or in free agency, and Nurse has the ability to elevate in a way that makes him a valuable addition. His contract might be a bit too high for what he brings as a bottom-pairing defender at this point, but, he has been a core piece to the Oilers since he joined the team, and he isn’t going anywhere any time soon.

As the 2025-26 season approaches, be sure to continue following The Hockey Writers as your source for news from around the NHL and the hockey world.