Darnell Nurse has expanded his trade list which exposes Oilers' weakness
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Daniel Lucente
Jun 18, 2026 (10:47)
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Photo credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Darnell Nurse's trade list just grew to five teams.
That is not good news for Edmonton - it is a warning sign about where this situation is heading.
Marco D'Amico reported Tuesday night that Nurse's preferred destinations now include the Kings, Sharks, and a potential Eastern Conference team, with Toronto mentioned as a possibility.
The Penguins and Flyers were already known. The new additions look like momentum for a deal - they are not.
"Darnell Nurse has...requested a trade out of Edmonton, providing a list of teams that includes the Penguins and Kings. Sources indicate that the list is also expected to include the Flyers, Sharks and another Eastern Conference team, potentially Toronto."
- Marco D'Amico
- Marco D'Amico
When a player with a full no-movement clause adds San Jose - a team that finished minus-41 in goal differential last season - it signals one thing above all else.
Nurse wants out badly enough that contention is no longer the priority.
The Sharks addition is the real tell
San Jose is not a contender by any honest measure. They finished 2025-26 with 86 points and remain in the early stages of a rebuild.
That is not where a 31-year-old defenseman goes to chase a championship. It is where a player goes when the relationship with his original organization has fully broken down.
Nurse declined to waive his no-movement clause last summer after Edmonton approached him about a deal.
He left that conversation upset, and the dynamic between the two sides never fully recovered.
That breakdown is the real reason five teams appear on the list, not one or two targeted destinations he genuinely wants.
Bowman is negotiating from a weakened position
Stan Bowman is running this trade market without a head coach in place and without the ability to force Nurse anywhere.
Five teams on a list sounds like leverage for Edmonton. In practice, it strips urgency from every team involved.
No buyer panics when four other buyers also sit at the table.
Nurse holds the full no-movement clause through next season. He controls the destination and the timeline entirely.
The Oilers control nothing about this deal except the asking price.
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