Darnell Nurse's time with the Edmonton Oilers [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/edmonton-oilers] should be coming to a close this off-season. Nurse has requested a trade from the Oilers, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman and Mark Spector. [https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/sources-darnell-nurse-asks-for-trade-agrees-its-time-to-move-from-oilers/]Nurse reportedly gave the Oilers three to five teams [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/edmonton-oilers/latest-news/darnell-nurse-requests-trade-submits-a-list-of-3-5-teams-to-oilers] he would be willing to waive his full no-movement clause to join. Nurse wanting a fresh start certainly helps the Oilers in their attempts to move him. However, with Nurse having a $9.25-million cap hit until the end of the 2029-30 season and coming off a down year, there are obstacles to any potential trade. Yet, with Nurse being a solid top-four defenseman who eats minutes and moves the puck well, he certainly has the potential to generate some interest this summer. This is especially so if the Oilers are open to retaining a bit of his salary. Let's look at three teams that could trade for Nurse this off-season following his trade request. SAN JOSE SHARKS The Sharks [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/san-jose-sharks] not only have a lot of cap space but are also entering the off-season with four pending UFA defensemen. Veteran Dmitry Orlov has one year left on his contract as well. They will need to improve their blueline for not just next season but beyond, and bringing in Nurse would help them do just that. Nurse would slot in on the left side and log heavy minutes while Sam Dickinson, Luca Cagnoni and Shakir Mukhamadullin continue to develop. His puck-carrying skills should help the Sharks produce more scoring chances and improve on the 3.04 goals-for they averaged this season. With 100 games of playoff experience, Nurse can help lead an exciting Sharks team on the rise as well. Considering the Sharks made a push for the playoffs this year and have a very promising core, if they're not on Nurse's list of desired destinations, they should be. Oilers Want To Free Up $9.25 Million With Nurse Trade. Can They Spend It Wisely? [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/7d7e53ee-9b52-44fa-b893-28340725355b.jpeg] Oilers Want To Free Up $9.25 Million With Nurse Trade. Can They Spend It Wisely? The Edmonton Oilers are reportedly trying to trade Darnell Nurse, mainly to clear his cap hit and use that space to address holes on the roster. If history is any indication, the Oilers might not use that space well. [https://thehockeynews.com/news/latest-news/oilers-want-to-free-up-9-25-million-with-nurse-trade-can-they-spend-it-wisely] PITTSBURGH PENGUINS The Penguins [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins] remain in a transitional period between the Crosby, Malkin and Letang Era and whatever core comes next. Kyle Dubas is trying to build the future without hurting the team's playoff chances. Dubas has excelled at bringing in players who bounced back in Pittsburgh, such as Anthony Mantha and Yegor Chinakhov. He even acquired Brett Kulak in the Stuart Skinner and Tristan Jarry trade and eventually flipped him to the Colorado Avalanche at the trade deadline. Nurse is no NHL youngster at 31, but he still has four years left on his contract and could be a great player to help tie one era with the next. Bringing in Nurse should strengthen the left side of Pittsburgh's blueline, which consists of Parker Wotherspoon, Ryan Girard and Ryan Graves. At the very least, he's an upgrade over Graves. The Fourth Period's David Pagnotta also reported [https://www.thefourthperiod.com/pagnotta/penguins-kings-in-mix-for-nurse] that the Penguins are on Nurse's trade list. With this and the Penguins' defense needing a boost, it would make sense for them to target Nurse this summer. Edmonton's ultimate goal is likely clearing Nurse's cap space, and the Penguins could get some other valuable assets if they weaponize their cap space. NHL Rumor Roundup: Latest On Dylan Larkin, Zach Werenski And Darnell Nurse [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/5fb29382-ba5e-453c-a738-4c1b1b8a7315.jpeg] NHL Rumor Roundup: Latest On Dylan Larkin, Zach Werenski And Darnell Nurse More teams are showing interest in Red Wings center Dylan Larkin; there's some speculation about Zach Werenski's future with the Blue Jackets, and Darnell Nurse submits his trade request to the Oilers. [https://thehockeynews.com/news/latest-news/nhl-rumor-roundup-latest-on-dylan-larkin-zach-werenski-and-darnell-nurse] PHILADELPHIA FLYERS Sticking in the Metropolitan Division, the Flyers [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers] are another potential landing spot for Nurse. The Philadelphia Inquirer's Jackie Spiegel recently reported [https://x.com/jackiespiegel93/status/2065150828957012240] there is mutual interest between the Flyers and Nurse. The Flyers took a big step forward this season and have more than enough cap space to afford Nurse's contract if Edmonton offers some sweeteners. There could be some competition on the left side of the blueline, with Travis Sanheim, Cam York and Nick Seeler under contract. But Nurse blocked more shots than any Flyers D-man this season, with 167, and when he is in form, he would improve Philly's depth as they prove their success this season was no fluke. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/bfd414ce-b06e-461c-8408-60121d02dde4.jpeg] For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. See more of The Hockey News on Google and save us as a preferred source [https://www.google.com/preferences/source?q=thehockeynews.com]. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here [http://eepurl.com/i7OC4I]. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
