The draft came and went, yet Darnell Nurse is still an Edmonton Oiler. So where do things go from here? Everyone involved would prefer a trade to get done sooner rather than later, especially with July 1 right around the corner—less than 48 hours away.

What has always complicated matters is Nurse’s small list of desired destinations: the Boston Bruins, Philadelphia Flyers, and Pittsburgh Penguins. The veteran defenseman may have to expand that list, however, because according to a recent report from insider David Pagnotta, the San Jose Sharks have entered the mix with interest, joining the aforementioned Flyers and another California team in the Anaheim Ducks as suitors.

Pagnotta wrote on X (formerly Twitter):

“As I mentioned on DFO Live earlier this hour, some talk the Oilers & Sharks recently re-engaged in Nurse trade discussions. Ducks & Flyers still in talks. SJ, like Ana, would need his blessing,”

The 31-year-old Nurse has four years remaining on the eight-year, $74 million contract extension he signed with the Oilers back in 2021. He put up 24 points (seven goals, 17 assists) while being a -12 rating across 82 games played last season.

Pittsburgh has reportedly shown interest but would only consider a deal if Oilers GM Stan Bowman were to retain a portion of Nurse’s $9.25 million average annual salary—something he is not keen on doing.

As a result, Edmonton is in a tough position, with Philadelphia being the only team from his preferred list still showing legitimate interest.

In the end, both the player and the team may have to bend a little here to get a deal done. Nurse may have to waive for a team he didn’t initially want to go to, and the Oilers may have to settle for less in return in order to clear cap space before the start of free agency.

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