Potential trade destinations for Darnell Nurse, the latest on the Blues, and an update on Sabres winger Alex Tuch in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.
CAN THE OILERS FIND A SUITABLE TRADE PARTNER FOR DARNELL NURSE?
EDMONTON JOURNAL: Kurt Leavins weighed in on Sportsnet reporting that Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse has requested a trade.
It’s believed Nurse has submitted a list of three to five teams that he would find acceptable as trade destinations. Leavins noted the Pittsburgh Penguins and Los Angeles Kings were rumored to be among them, but he doesn’t know how much truth there is to that speculation.
Edmonton Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse (NHL Images).
Leavins pointed out that Nurse isn’t as physical as he was earlier in his career. While the 31-year-old blueliner has had stretches of very good play, his postseason performances have been below expectations.
Nurse’s contract is a major obstacle in the path to a trade. He’s signed through 2028-29 with an average annual value of $9.25 million. He also has a full no-movement clause, giving him full control over where he can be sent.
Meanwhile, Jim Matheson looked at which clubs might be interested in Nurse, and what the Oilers could expect to receive in return.
Nurse’s parents live in Hamilton, Ontario, prompting Matheson to speculate that he might be open to teams in the geographical area, such as Toronto, Pittsburgh, and Philadelphia.
Matheson also noted that Nurse has some connections in California, which could make Los Angeles and San Jose potential landing spots.
As for return, Matheson mused about a swap of Nurse for Morgan Rielly with Toronto, or Rasmus Ristolainen or Nick Seeler or Owen Tippett with Philadelphia. He speculated that the Oilers might be reluctant to deal with the Penguins after swapping Stuart Skinner for Tristan Jarry.
The Sharks desperately need experienced blueline depth, but Matheson believes they’d want the Oilers to retain part of Nurse’s cap hit. They might be willing to move defenseman Shakir Mukhamadullin, but the Oilers might also want a forward, prompting Matheson to wonder if they’d also part with winger William Eklund.
Matheson speculated the Oilers might be open to taking goalie Darcy Kuemper for one year to play with Tristan Jarry. He doubted that the Kings would part with Alex Laferriere.
TORONTO SUN: Lance Hornby thinks acquiring Darnell Nurse could work for the Maple Leafs. Like Matheson, Hornby suggested swapping Rielly for Nurse. However, he also mentioned pursuing Dougie Hamilton of the New Jersey Devils.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Oilers would love to move Nurse and his entire salary from their books and get back a decent NHL player in return. However, it might not be as easy as that.
Nurse’s $9.25 million AAV for the next three seasons is a significant sticking point. For all we know, the teams on his list of preferred destinations might not be interested in him, and if they are, they would probably prefer the Oilers retain a healthy chunk of his cap hit.
Nurse is the second player in a week to request a trade, following Dylan Larkin of the Detroit Red Wings. It’ll be interesting to see which player gets moved first. Larkin obviously has more value than Nurse. However, the Oilers’ asking price for Nurse is likely more affordable than what the Red Wings seek for Larkin.
THE LATEST ON THE BLUES
THE HOCKEY NEWS: Julian Guadio recently listed three players whose tenure with the St. Louis Blues could end this summer.
Center Oskar Sundqvist, right wing Jordan Kyrou, and goaltender Jordan Binnington are the trio who may have played their final games with the Blues.
Sundqvist’s second tenure with the Blues has been disappointing, which is why Guadio believes it’s time for him to move on. The Blues have been waiting for Kyrou to take his game to the next level, but he’s yet to do so. Binnington has lost the starter’s job to Joel Hofer, but his big-game reputation still has value in the trade market.
THE ATHLETIC: Jeremy Rutherford recently answered some readers’ questions about Kyrou’s trade value and potential destinations.
Rutherford suggested the San Jose Sharks and New York Islanders as potential trade destinations for Kyrou, assuming he’s willing to waive his no-trade clause. He believes the Blues would like to get a player “with a proven track record or potential, or a high draft pick”.
NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: James Nichols suggested Kyrou as a trade target for the Devils. He suggested offering up center Dawson Mercer or defenseman Simon Nemec, assuming he’d accept a trade to New Jersey.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kyrou seems the more likely of the three to be traded this summer. They could opt to stick with Binnington to start the season and see how things go from there. The decline in Sundqvist’s performance hurts his trade value.
Kyrou’s been mentioned as a trade option for the Ottawa Senators, but Rutherford doesn’t see him waiving his clause to join them. He also doesn’t see him going to the Seattle Kraken.
ALEX TUCH REPORTEDLY HEADED TO THE FREE AGENT MARKET
THE ATHLETIC: Pierre LeBrun believes it’s increasingly likely that Buffalo Sabres winger Alex Tuch will test the UFA market on July 1.
LeBrun isn’t ruling out a possible deal between Tuch and the Sabres before then. However, he’s doubtful that Sabres GM Jarmo Kekalainen sees the 29-year-old winger in the “double-digit salary world.”
SPECTOR’S NOTE: In other words, LeBrun doesn’t see the Sabres signing Tuch to a deal worth $10 million annually on a long-term deal.