Is Oilers Losing McDavid Worth It To Dump the Darnell Nurse Contract?

Darnell Nurse is front and center in Edmonton-based NHL rumors these days. With little else to talk about, no playoff games for the Oilers means speculating on what the fallout will be from a disappointing season. Moving Nurse’s contract in a trade seems to be the topic of the hour.

Depending on who you talk to or listen to, the likelihood of a trade varies. Jason Gregor noted on his Sports 1440 show that the Oilers have been open to moving Nurse. Daily Faceoff’s Matt Larkin said of a Nurse trade, “The Oilers simply must find a way.” David Staples recently wrote that he believed there would be a market for the defenseman.

Related: Could the Oilers Fetch a Better Return for Darnell Nurse Than Expected?

One past concern is that Nurse has a no-move clause, thus giving him the power to control his fate. If he doesn’t want to be traded, he won’t be. And for everyone suggesting he might just have a change of heart, he hasn’t in the past; he hasn’t been keen lately, and there’s little reason to think he’s changed his mind.

Not only that, but he’s got some supporters in Edmonton. And when I say supporters, I don’t just mean fans. There are key players on this Oilers roster willing to stand up for the defenseman, making a trade more difficult.

Gregor explained, “People have talked about moving [on] from Darnell Nurse. I think people in the organization are open to it. The leadership group wasn’t overly open to it.” It’s unclear if stars like Connor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl were asked or consulted, but no one should be shocked if either stood up when the trade noise got louder and said, “Hey, what’s up with that?”

Would the Oilers Be Willing to Sacrifice McDavid To Move Nurse?

Let’s paint a picture, just for the sake of making things interesting. If Nurse was to suddenly change his tune –either because he got tired of being the scapegoat or he just wanted a fresh start — there’s a chance he would only be open to the idea reluctantly. This is not a player who will ask out or be happy to waive if the fit isn’t right. In other words, Nurse is not Viktor Arvidsson who saw things didn’t fit and waived without raising an issue.

Nurse is not in the same boat, which means one of two things: the Oilers angered Nurse to the point he felt unwanted and said bon voyage. Or, they pushed until he agreed. Either way, how well do you think that sits with someone like McDavid? Not well, and that’s a problem.

The Oilers will risk losing McDavid if they somehow successfully trade Nurse. This is a close friend. This is a former roommate. McDavid not only wants to win a Stanley Cup for himself, but for the Oilers he’s been in the foxhole with. Perhaps there’s no one he wants it more for than Nurse. Take that away, and you can guarantee McDavid asks what he took a discount for. You can also guess that no Nurse on the roster means McDavid is a lot more likely to explore his options as a free agent. And, if you trade his best friend, good luck expecting him to make things easy for Edmonton on the way out.

So the question becomes, is it worth possibly losing McDavid to move on from Nurse? It’s a question the Oilers better have an answer to if they even intend to try. Some will say no way. Others might actually be thinking about it, especially if the winning doesn’t come before then.

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