Darnell Nurse's short trade list may have created a new scenario for the Oilers

On Oilers Now, Stauffer called a Nurse return to the Edmonton Oilers a plausible scenario - and he was careful not to frame it as good news.

Stauffer believes Nurse's list covers just three Eastern Conference teams, and that narrow window may be too tight for Stan Bowman to find an acceptable deal.

The real variable this summer isn't whether Edmonton wants to move Nurse. It's whether Nurse himself is willing to expand his list.

Nurse is 31 on a $9.25 million cap hit, and the price tag alone is already testing teams' appetite for a straight-up deal.

Elliotte Friedman and David Pagnotta have both reported genuine interest from around the league, but both noted the Oilers will likely need to retain salary to get a deal done.

If Nurse keeps his list at three Eastern destinations, Bowman is negotiating in a market where those three teams know they're the only option.

That is leverage working against Edmonton, not for it.

Stauffer floated the Chicago Blackhawks and San Jose Sharks as logical western fits - both carry cap room and need blue-line help.

Adding western clubs could flip the dynamic and turn a thin market into real competition.

Nurse holds a full no-movement clause for 2026-27, but it converts to a partial clause the following summer.

If he stays one more year, Edmonton gains real leverage in 2027.

Stauffer gave this storyline eight or nine days to resolve. The draft is the forcing function, and Nurse's willingness to expand his list is the only variable that actually matters.