The Edmonton Oilers are working through a developing situation involving defenseman Darnell Nurse, who formally requested a trade on Thursday.
Nurse informed the organization that he is ready for a change after spending his entire NHL career in Edmonton. He also submitted a short list of teams he would consider, using his full no-movement clause to control his future.
Shortly after the request was revealed by Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman and Mark Spector, The Fourth Period's David Pagnotta shed light on two potential destinations for the veteran blueliner.
Pagnotta reported that the Pittsburgh Penguins and Los Angeles Kings are among the teams interested in landing Nurse, depending on the asking price.
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On Friday's edition of the "32 Thoughts" podcast, Friedman provided additional clarity on what Nurse's list looks like.
“I think it’s mostly East,” Friedman said. “I don’t believe it’s Canada, but I think it’s mostly East. If there’s a West team—and I stress ‘if’ because I don’t know—I would think it would be [the Los Angeles Kings] simply because he knows the [general] manager there, but I’ve heard the preference is East.”
Among the teams gaining traction are the Philadelphia Flyers, who Friedman said are firmly in the mix.
“I think they're interested,” Friedman said. “I've heard enough noise out of there to think that they're interested. I think they're a team he'd consider going to.”
Despite the growing list of suitors, Friedman emphasized that the deal will depend heavily on financial considerations tied to Nurse’s contract, which carries a $9.25 million cap hit through 2030.
“I think there is legitimate interest,” Friedman said. “I do think Edmonton’s going to be able to make a hockey deal here.”
