Edmonton’s front office is officially trying to break up with Darnell Nurse, but he's in control of whether he believes this relationship can continue to work.
The attempt at a cordial breakup is official — at least on one side. The "It's not you, it's me" narrative is well underway after Sportsnet's Mark Spector wrote an article reporting that the plan is for the Edmonton Oilers to sit down with defenseman Darnell Nurse and gauge his willingness to accept a trade this summer.
If he's open to the idea, GM Stan Bowman and company want to test the market as soon as they are able. If he's not, the team will reportedly "welcome him back." It's a nice idea, but this is now the second time the organization has made its feelings clear.
What isn't clear yet is whether any of it matters.
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Here's the thing about a breakup when one person holds all the cards: it's not really a breakup. It's just the other person talking. This is more like Edmonton filing for divorce, but they don't have a prenup, and they can't force Nurse to sign the papers without things potentially getting ugly.
Nurse's contract contains a full no-movement clause, meaning he has complete control over whether he gets traded through the end of next season. At that point, his full no-trade clause turns into a modified one.
If he tells Bowman he wants to stay an Oiler, trade talk gets shelved. If that's the case, the relationship could be fine. Or, it could become more of a 'We're just staying together for the sake of not breaking up.' Everyone else knows the couple won't last, and they're maintaining appearances because a split is too expensive.
When the Oilers previously inquired about Nurse's willingness to waive his clause, it became clear the relationship was rocky. He reportedly expressed no interest in leaving Edmonton, felt comfortable where he was, and wanted to see it through with the same group he'd gone to war with over the past several seasons. It wasn't until this past season that the romance really started to fade. The honeymoon phase is long over, and the years haven't been kind.
"It's Not You, It's Me"
So what, exactly, is Edmonton's plan here? Publicly signal they want him gone, hope the conversation with Bowman changes Nurse's mind, and then... wait? Is the hope that Nurse decides it's not fun to stay in a relationship where the other side doesn't want you?
Ironically, this isn't all about Nurse. It's mostly about his contract. The Oilers like the player and the person, but they don't like that the relationship hasn't grown. It's the details of the partnership that have become somewhat contentious. What once worked no longer does, and they believe there are other fish in the sea. At least, that's what they're banking on.
This is mostly about the money. Nurse has become too expensive. If he were giving more in the relationship, Edmonton would have no problem trying to make it work. Unfortunately, he's gotten comfortable. Either that, or he's not the player Edmonton thought they'd signed when they decided to commit long-term. As can happen in relationships, the dynamic has changed.
If Nurse understands that the organization is no longer "into it" and has moved on philosophically, he may prefer a fresh start elsewhere. Go to a team that wants him, and the love is reciprocated. That's clearly no longer in Edmonton, at least not at these terms.
Spector noted that even during the 2024 Stanley Cup Final, there were internal discussions about healthy-scratching Nurse — a sign of just how far the relationship has eroded.
Breakups Are Never Easy
But the trade itself, the two sides going their own way, won't be easy. Even if Nurse agrees this isn't working out any longer -- or letting the Oilers move on and find another player that fills a need more effectively -- finding a partner willing to absorb his contract will be a genuine challenge.
He posted a minus-12 rating last season. His ice time dropped to a decade low per game. The market for a defenceman who didn't take the next step in his progression, but costs nearly $10 million per year on a long-term deal, is not, to put it gently, robust.
And, because this is Nurse's final season with full no-movement protection -— starting in 2027-28, it drops to a 10-team no-trade list -- the Oilers may have to get nasty in the divorce. They may have to threaten to trade him next summer and give him less say in where he goes. 'Work with us now and have your say, or know we're leaving you next year and we'll do what we want.'
The hope is always to amicably break before things get nasty. No one wants a prolonged battle where each side is fighting, and emotion takes over, ultimately costing both sides.
Can the Oilers avoid it? Is Nurse going to be bitter or hang onto the last threads of what was once a mutually loving and beneficial relationship? Time will tell.
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