Edmonton's leverage has just flipped as new team enters Darnell Nurse sweepstakes

When Elliotte Friedman reported serious interest from both the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Philadelphia Flyers in Edmonton Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse, everyone focused on the competition.

The more important detail is buried underneath.

Friedman also reported that the Oilers believe they will not have to retain much salary, if any, on Nurse's $9.25 million cap hit.

Those two things are directly connected.

The competition created the leverage, and the leverage is why Edmonton no longer needs to talk about retention.

The Penguins sit roughly $10.8 million below the salary cap floor and carry over $37 million in available cap space.

They have the financial pressure and the roster motivation to absorb Nurse's full contract.

But the Flyers are in a nearly identical cap position. Oilers GM Stan Bowman now has two teams capable of taking the full number without a retention concession - a situation that almost never exists for a defenseman carrying $9.25 million annually through 2029-30.

Before the Flyers entered the picture, Edmonton's risk was absorbing salary just to close any deal.

The Fourth Period's David Pagnotta reported the Penguins and Oilers are actively working on a trade, with Pittsburgh potentially sitting first on Nurse's waiver list.

But Pittsburgh now knows Philadelphia is in the room. That competition changes what the Penguins have to offer in picks and prospects to win the bidding.

Pagnotta also noted that a deal is expected around the NHL Draft, which opens June 26.

Bowman has said he will not rush, and with two teams in the room, he does not need to.

Two cap-floor teams competing for the same expensive defenseman is the exact kind of market the Oilers needed this summer.