The Edmonton Oilers have been working the market on defenseman Darnell Nurse for over a year. It wasn’t until this past week that news surfaced Nurse was not just open to a deal, but had requested out. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman indicated that a short list of about three to five teams has been submitted, but other clubs are already calling Edmonton to see about being added.

“I think it’s mostly East,” Friedman said on the latest 32 Thoughts podcast. He added that a new Canadian destination is unlikely, and suggested one Western Conference team is involved, that being the Los Angeles Kings.

Due to Nurse’s history with now-Kings GM Ken Holland, Los Angeles would be an intriguing destination. For the Oilers, that a team in their own division might want him also creates a new layer of drama. What happens if the Kings and Oilers meet in the playoffs? Outside of this season, it’s happened numerous seasons in a row. Do the Oilers want to trade Nurse to a division rival? Can they afford to be picky?

There’s another team worth watching here: the Philadelphia Flyers.

Interest around the league appears to be legitimate, including from Daniel Briere in Philly, where the Flyers are looking to upgrade their roster and could shake a few things up.

Jackie Spiegel writes, “I am hearing there is mutual interest between Nurse — nephew of Eagles legend Donovan McNabb —  and the Flyers. But what would he cost? How much retention is EDM willing to take? And is there another move?” When asked for her opinion on a potential deal, she added, “I think it would come with another move. They have kids pushing for spots and players like Jiricek will be in the NHL. A lot can happen in the next few weeks, but draft weekend could be an interesting time around the whole league.”

As for what the Oilers might have to give to facilitate a move, Friedman believes a key factor will be salary retention. He noted that Nurse carries a $9.25 million cap hit, and while a 50 percent retention is not expected, getting his cap hit to the $7–7.25 million range could open up the door to several more teams. “I do think Edmonton’s going to be able to make a hockey deal here,” Friedman said.

Friedman also noted that some teams not initially included on his list began reaching out to Edmonton. They want in and to see if Nurse would consider adding them to his list.

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