The Edmonton Oilers Are Taking Control of Darnell Nurse’s Future

Darnell Nurse’s full no-movement clause has always been the number one obstacle in the way of the Edmonton Oilers trading him, but after an extremely disappointing 2025-26 season, they appear prepared to play hardball with their longtime defenseman.

---

In a recent episode of 32 Thoughts: The Podcast, Sportsnet insider Elliotte Friedman dove into the Nurse trade talk and suggested that the Oilers are prepared to force the veteran’s hand, making it known that they are going to move him, whether it be this summer or next.

Friedman said:

“The interesting thing for me here is that a year ago Nurse had a very emotional season-ending interview with the team and they went to him and said would you be willing to move, and he was upset that that got out. He said no, he wouldn’t, and we reported on this pod and it became a big story. And Nurse was really upset about that…

And this year they didn’t do that. At the end of the year they didn’t ask him, and they obviously waited a bit longer to decide what they’re going to do. The thing about Nurse is he’s a year away from his no-trade clause going from a full to a partial, and it’s clear they’re going to say to him, you know, this is the last year you have control — do you want to work with us or not?,”

The 31-year-old Nurse has four years remaining on the eight-year, $74 million contract extension he signed with the Oilers back in 2021, which includes, as Friedman mentions, a full no-movement clause that drops to a 10-team no-trade list in 2027-28.

Nurse may very well be open to a change of scenery now that it’s become so clear he’s no longer wanted in Edmonton, so we’ll have to see how this plays out as the offseason approaches.

For a long time, his contract seemed immovable for multiple reasons, but the urgency and need for change have reached a new level, and it now feels more likely than not that Nurse may have played his last game as an Oiler.

Next: “It’s On Their Desk”: Gallagher Trade to Canucks Close?