Scribe Throws Out Wild Trade Suggestion: Nurse to Red Wings for Who?

According to Allan Mitchell of The Athletic, when it comes to the Edmonton Oilers pulling off a Darnell Nurse trade, “Expect a veteran player with an outsized contract to arrive as part of the return.” That makes sense, given that Nurse carries a $9.25 million salary cap hit and his reputation around the NHL is hit or miss, depending on who you ask.

---

Where things go a bit off the rails is Mitchell’s suggestion that a player like Dylan Larkin of the Detroit Red Wings might be on Edmonton’s radar. “A player like Dylan Larkin, who has requested a trade from the Detroit Red Wings, would be an attractive target for general manager Stan Bowman,” writes Mitchell.

The idea falls apart for several reasons, many of which readers were quick to point out in the comments section.

One reader responded, “Dylan Larkin has an outsized contract? How so? Besides that: Larkin is younger than Nurse, has a cheaper contract than Nurse, and is WAAAAY better of a hockey player at his position than Nurse is at his. How is this even a serious suggestion?”

“Lots of GMs are trading their 1C for a guys with huge contracts to play the 4/5 slot on D,’ wrote another.

They’re not wrong. While Nurse might have value around the NHL and the Oilers could potentially get a player back that fills a need, it won’t be Larkin.

First, it’s not an even trade. Second, it doesn’t fill either major area of need for the two teams involved. Third, GM Steve Yzerman isn’t an idiot.

This Trade Idea Makes No Sense

I’ll give Mitchell the benefit of the doubt and assume he wasn’t suggesting this was a one-for-one deal. I would imagine he knows better than to assume the Red Wings would be good with that trade. If it was out there, the Oilers should make it, even if it was just to flip Larkin for a profit.

Second, we don’t know yet what teams Larkin is open to joining. Edmonton is likely to be more competitive than Detroit, and the appeal of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl is a thing, but where does Larkin fit on the roster and does he want to come to Canada? Adding Larkin means moving Draisaitl onto Connor’s wing permanently. Larkin’s coming to Edmonton means a serious change in lifestyle.

We also don’t yet know whether Nurse would even accept a trade to Detroit. The smart money suggests he wouldn’t. The Red Wings have consistently missed the playoffs; they aren’t a top destination for players, and Nurse has total control over where he goes.

Even if the deal was Nurse and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins for Larkin, which financially makes a bit more sense from an Oilers perspective, it’s complicated. Everyone involved carries trade protection. To get all parties to sign off on the deal would be a huge stretch.

Next: Tortorella’s Massive Mistake Costs Carolina Game 2 in Stanley Cup Final