Could Maple Leafs and Oilers Explore Swap of Polarizing Defensemen?

The Toronto Maple Leafs and Edmonton Oilers will be two of the more fascinating teams to track this offseason, both coming off disappointing 2025-26 campaigns and eager to improve for 2026-27.

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Each also has big-name players and contracts they would ideally like to move, with Morgan Rielly and Darnell Nurse standing out most. Finding a suitor for either defenseman won’t be easy, so Oilers reporter Jim Matheson wonders if the two teams would be willing to connect with one another on a change-of-scenery swap involving the polarizing blueliners.

Matheson wrote:

“Will the Oilers trade Darnell Nurse this summer, maybe at the June draft, if Nurse waives his full no-trade, which becomes a 10-team no-trade after 2026-27? If so, to help with their cap space, the deal that might make the most sense is Nurse, 31, to Toronto for fellow left defenceman Morgan Rielly, 32. Both contracts end after the 2029-30 season. Nurse’s AAV is $9.25 million, Rielly’s AAV is $7.5 million. Points of interest: Nurse is from Hamilton, Tie Domi had a backroom hand in the hiring of new Leafs’ GM John Chayka and Nurse and Tie’s son Max grew up together. Nurse and Rielly are playing for Canada at the worlds in Switzerland, as is Bouchard,”

The 32-year-old Rielly produced 36 points (11 goals, 25 assists) while being a -18 across 78 games played this season, while Nurse, 31, tallied 24 points (seven goals, 17 assists) and was a -12 rating in 82 games.

This type of trade between Edmonton and Toronto would undoubtedly generate massive buzz around the hockey world.

Whether it’s a move that would benefit either side is questionable, though both Rielly and Nurse have proven capable of being quality defensemen in this league, and sometimes a fresh start is all a player needs to be rejuvenated and find their game again.

On the surface, it may appear like trading one problem for another, but we see players rediscover themselves in new situations all the time in the NHL, so perhaps it’s worth a shot.

Next: Pettersson, Zibanejad Seen as Potential Maple Leafs Center Targets