Darnell Nurse to Pittsburgh Hinges on Taking Back Penguins Defenseman

The Edmonton Oilers have had a hard time trading Darnell Nurse, and if they really are insistent on doing so, then GM Stan Bowman may need to bend on some of his current stances.

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That will especially have to be the case if he wants to strike a deal with Kyle Dubas and the Pittsburgh Penguins—one of Nurse’s preferred destinations.

According to a recent report from Sportsnet insider Nick Kypreos, the Penguins are quite interested in Nurse and the skill set he brings to the table. However, in order to get a deal done, Dubas wants left-shot defenseman Ryan Graves sent back the other way to Edmonton.

Kypreos wrote:

“Finally, Darnell Nurse seems to be attracting more attention than Morgan Rielly. Multiple teams including Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and San Jose love Nurse’s toughness and durability. But Edmonton has no interest in taking back a bad contract. Penguins GM Kyle Dubas wants Edmonton to take Ryan Graves’ contract for Nurse, but Edmonton has so far said no,”

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, while Graves, 31, has three years left on the six-year, $27.5 million deal he signed with the Penguins as a free agent in 2023.

Graves’ tenure in Pittsburgh has been a disaster, and last season saw him spend nearly as much time in the AHL as he did with the big club.

Taking on that contract would undoubtedly be a risk for Edmonton. That said, given the fact that Nurse still appears to have some value on the trade market, the Penguins would likely include additional assets to make it worthwhile.

It ultimately comes down to just how badly Bowman and the Oilers want to move Nurse. If they’re not willing to step outside of their current comfort zone, then the veteran blue-liner could very well be back in Edmonton to start the 2026-27 season.

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