Some Interesting Names are Popping Up as Possible Darnell Nurse Replacements

The Edmonton Oilers are working on a Darnell Nurse trade and one of the questions being asked is who replaces him when he’s gone? Yes, the Oilers want to move his $9.25 million cap hit. But, moving that money out is as much about not spending it on Nurse as it is about having $9.25 million to use elsewhere.

---

The Oilers might be happy to spend that kind of money on a more elite defender. Nurse does good things: he’s healthy, plays a ton of minutes, and is gritty. What he’s not is a number one defenseman. Is that player available? It’s starting to look like it.

Bowen Byram

According to a report by TSN’s Darren Dreger, “Multiple teams exploring a trade with the Buffalo Sabres involving Dman, Bo Byram.” He adds, “Byram has 1 yr left on his contract before becoming an unrestricted Free Agent. Agent, Darren Ferris has some history with marching players to the open market. Motivation for trade consideration.”

If Byram is looking for a trade, the Oilers should certainly be looking his way. They won’t be the favorite, and the Sabres aren’t doing Nurse for Byram, but this is exactly the type of defender the Oilers need. A left-shot who could play with Evan Bouchard, it would move Mattias Ekholm down to the second pair with Jake Walman. Byram would command big money, perhaps more than Nurse was getting paid, but he’s a better fit and a better all-around defenseman. He’s a true No 1, and no worse than a No. 2.

Morgan Rielly

The Toronto Maple Leafs just acquired and signed Darren Raddysh. It’s expected they’re not done making moves and the next big one could be a Morgan Rielly trade.

Rielly doesn’t solve Edmonton’s problems, and he’s not a true No. 1, but he is a strong offensive defenseman, and his contract, while high, isn’t the albatross the Oilers saw Nurse’s deal as. This one is a stretch. Rielly is less of a fit and not what the Oilers necessarily need.

John Carlson

Another stretch because he wants to play out east, John Carlson is leaving the Anaheim Ducks and looking to test his value on the open market. According to Marco D’Amico, Carlson is looking for a short-term deal with an average annual value similar to the $8 million on his expiring contract.

Carlson is older, but he’s still extremely productive. He’s a top-pairing guy who brings tremendous experience and leadership. He’d likely play in the Oilers’ top four with Bouchard as the team’s top-pairing right-shot blueliner.

Zach Werenski

According to NHL insider Pierre LeBrun, in the midst of several notable trade requests around the NHL, one player to watch is current Norris Trophy winner Zach Werenski. LeBrun doesn’t believe a trade is imminent, and it’s hard to imagine the Columbus Blue Jackets willingly giving him up, but LeBrun suggests it shouldn’t be ruled out.

LeBrun wrote:

“There’s been much speculation about Zach Werenski in the wake of Larkin’s trade request, perhaps because they’re close friends and fellow Team USA gold medalists. But I can tell you as of Wednesday afternoon, I’m told there has not been any communication to the Columbus Blue Jackets indicating that kind of thing on Werenski, who has two more years on his deal. Now, having said that, I’m not ready to say that it couldn’t happen before the end of the summer, either, just based on the fact that at some point the team and player will want to talk about the future and whether or not he sees himself in Columbus long term. And I don’t know what the answer to that question would be.”

How does a one-two punch of Bouchard and Werenski sound? He’s a $9.5 million cap hit, which the Oilers would gladly pay. This is not a Nurse situation. Werenski is worth every penny of his deal. The trick would be the Oilers having anything close to a strong enough package to make a trade realistic.

Next: NHL Trade Talk Recap: Red Wings, Oilers & Maple Leafs Rejection