TSN’s Bob McKenzie shed a bit more light on the situation between the Edmonton Oilers and Darnell Nurse after it was revealed Nurse might be looking for as much as $8 million per year on a long-term deal.
McKenzie noted that the option of Nurse getting a long-term deal at this stage is virtually nill as the Oilers simply can’t afford to hand out the type of money it would take to keep him long-term starting next season. Both sides want a long-term deal and eventually the belief is that they’ll get there. For now, a two-year bridge deal is the only viable option.
The expectation is that the Oilers and Nurse will find common ground on a two-year pact that will walk Nurse to unrestricted free agency and cost the Oilers just under $6 million for two years. This will allow them to lower or move on from the contracts to players like James Neal, Kris Russell and rid themselves of some buried salary.
After that, they’ll start conversations.
In the end, don’t expect a long-term deal to be announced between the Oilers and Nurse. But, expect a bridge deal gets done over the coming weeks. Also, don’t expect a trade as both sides are aware of the situation and neither is looking to move from the other.
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