Edmonton Oilers

Oilers Have Possible NHL Draft Trade Locked and Loaded For Darnell Nurse

The Edmonton Oilers are trying to trade Darnell Nurse by the NHL Draft, and they may have deal lined up with a taem on his preferred list.

by
NHL Trade Talk
June 18, 2026

The Edmonton Oilers and Pittsburgh Penguins are reportedly in active discussions over a potential trade involving defenceman Darnell Nurse. As per The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta, if a deal is reached, the trade is likely to go down around the NHL Entry Draft on June 26.

Obviously, it doesn’t mean this trade will happen. But it could mean that the two sides have what might be the makings of a tentative deal locked and loaded.

In the days following speculation that the Oilers were going to try to have a sit-down with their defenseman about waiving his no-move clause, Nurse requested a trade. It was on June 11 that he beat them to the punch, providing Edmonton with a list of three to five teams he would waive his no-trade clause for. Pittsburgh was among them.

Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas has a prior relationship with Nurse from his time with the Soo Greyhounds, and Pittsburgh is motivated to compete while franchise cornerstone Sidney Crosby‘s career enters its final chapter. They have a ton of cap space and the ability to acquire his contract in full.

“Pittsburgh may be No. 1 on Darnell Nurse’s list of five teams he would waive for, and the Penguins and Oilers have been discussing a potential trade,” Pagnotta reported. He added that while Oilers GM Stan Bowman isn’t rushing into a move, some around the league believe a deal will come together around draft weekend.

A Nurse Deal for the Penguins Makes Almost Too Much Sense

The Penguins currently carry approximately $37.858 million in cap space and sit roughly $10.8 million below the league’s salary cap floor — meaning they have the room to absorb Nurse’s full $9.25 million AAV contract, which runs through the 2029–30 season. That’s no small consideration for Edmonton, which has been looking to move the salary.

Pittsburgh also brings significant draft capital to the table. The Penguins hold their own first-, second-, and third-round picks in each of the next four years, along with five additional second-round picks and two extra third-round picks across that same window — giving them plenty of assets to build an attractive return package.

Should a deal get done, defenceman Ryan Graves is widely expected to be part of the return heading to Edmonton. The 31-year-old carries a $4.5 million AAV in the fourth year of a six-year deal, though he split last season between the NHL and AHL after clearing waivers.

With the NHL Draft just eight days away, the clock is ticking. Whether Bowman pulls the trigger on a Nurse deal with Pittsburgh — or pivots to one of the other teams on Nurse’s list, which reportedly includes the Kings, Flyers, and could possibly expand to include the Sharks— should become clear very soon.

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