Shedding Nurse’s massive cap hit shifts the spotlight toward Trent Frederic’s underwhelming production, Jake Walman’s injury risks, and the immense pressure surrounding Connor McDavid’s short-term commitment.
If the Edmonton Oilers successfull trade Darnell Nurse, many will suggest the team has moved it's biggest and most problematic contract. While reports are surfacing that Nurse might have more value on the trade market than originally anticipated, there's little doubt that the Oilers feel it would be better to move off of his $9.25 million deal.
If they're able, which contract becomes the most concerning for the Oilers?
Here are a few options:
Trent Frederic
Eight years by $3.85 million for Trent Frederic looks like a huge overpayment. Pick your poison: is it the term of dollar value that bothers you most? An argument can be made for either based on his play from the 2025-26 season.
With only seven points in 74 games, Frederic started game one of the regular season on the top line and wound up a healthy scratch on a regular occassion, playing mostly fourth-line minutes by the time the season was over. He never quite put two-and-two together when it came to realizing why the Oilers brought him in and signed him. He was supposed to be a power forward who hit and agitated. It wasn't until Colton Dach was acquired that Frederic started to find another gear.
By then, it was clear his contract, which has seven years remaining, is one of the bigger blunders of the season.
There's still time for Frederic to find his game. The Oilers are hoping he does because if he doesn't a painful decision might be coming.
Jake Walman
Health is a serious concern for Jake Walman, as might be his motivation at times. An effective Walman is a great player. When he's off, his game has serious warts.
On the heels of a strong run following a trade to land him from the San Jose Sharks, he was signed to a seven-year, $49 million extension that begins next season. The Oilers need him to be more of the 2024-25 playoff Walman and less of the 2025-26 regular-season turnover machine he often was.
Mixed in with the games where he was standout for the right reasons, there were too many nights that Walman would admit he needed to be better.
Given his injuries and his propensity for inconsistency, this is a long contract the Oilers have heavily invested in. Had they been aware of what was coming last season, it's fair to argue seven years wouldn't have been on the table.
Connor McDavid
Connor McDavid's contract is a problem for an entirely different reason than the two players mentioned above. This isn't about money. It's all about the term and the timeline.
The contract was incredibly generous, and a higher cap hit would pose different challenges, but this deal also places unbelievable pressure on the Oilers to make moves and get it right. If they don't, McDavid could up and leave, either testing free agency or forcing the Oilers into an unwinnable trade.
I'm convinced the Oilers have already made moves because of this two-year extension that they otherwise wouldn't have made. When a metaphorical gun is held to one's head, it leads to rushed decisions. Let's not go any further than what's about to happen with the coaching situation.
None of this is McDavid's fault, mind you. He has every right to hold the Oilers accountable. He wants to win, but perhaps so badly that no one is thinking clearly. The Oilers are arguably operating under desperation and fear.
That he gave them a discount and that they're wasting that gift is perhaps the most troubling of all the contracts on the roster. The clock is ticking.
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