Why the Oilers Should at Least Pick Up the Phone on Drew Doughty

Nobody is suggesting the Edmonton Oilers should blow up their offseason to chase a 36-year-old defenceman in the final year of his contract. But if there was ever a moment to at least have the conversation about Drew Doughty, this is it — and here’s why.

Elliotte Friedman reported this week that the LA Kings GM Ken Holland will not be extending Doughty this summer. The organization wants him to finish his career as a King, but that conversation has been deferred to after 2026-27 — leaving Doughty in what might be a state of uncomfortable limbo. He probably doesn’t want to go anywhere, and there’s a chance at the end of the season that the two sides will work out a shorter, less expensive deal. Still, this is a proud player who might feel a bit shafted the Kings aren’t willing to talk about keeping him in the fold.

He has a seven-team trade list, making him movable. And if the Kings have quietly signaled they’re moving on regardless, he might be open to a move.

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Now look at Edmonton’s situation.

Darnell Nurse has agreed to waive his no-movement clause to facilitate a trade, and with his $9.25M cap hit off the books, the Oilers could have as much as $24.7M in cap space to work with this summer. That’s a dramatically different financial picture than previous years — enough to absorb Doughty’s $11M hit while still addressing other needs, particularly if Nurse is the centerpiece going back to LA.

The question becomes, is moving Nurse about freeing up money? If so, Doughty makes no sense. If the trade is about moving away from Nurse as a player and bringing in a different defenseman, that’s another story.

Would Nurse for Doughty Even Make Sense for the Oilers?

A Nurse-for-Doughty framework is actually cleaner than it first appears. Both carry cap hits that are too high for the value they provide. Both are veteran defencemen whose best days may be behind them. For LA, Nurse provides term and a physical presence. For Edmonton, Doughty provides leadership and playoff credibility. His deal also ends three years earlier than Nurse’s.

That’s the part that gets overlooked in the cap math. Doughty is a two-time Stanley Cup champion, an Olympic gold and silver medallist, and according to advanced metrics, was arguably still the best defenceman on LA’s blue line last season. He’s not the Doughty of 2014, but he’s not done either. Having a player like him on the Oilers is a whole different category of defenseman. There’s an edge to him that also comes with a tremendous level of respect around the NHL.

And if he’s being quietly pushed toward the exit by his own organization, he becomes a dangerous weapon for a contender since he has a lot to play for. Doughty has something to prove, a one-year runway to prove it, and a legitimate shot at a championship in Edmonton alongside Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.

More of a Fishing Expedition Than Anything

Nurse doesn’t have the Kings on his trade list. There is, however, some talk that he’d be open to adding them. His connection with Ken Holland could change the narrative.

Does Friedman’s report suggest Doughty wants to leave the Kings? No. Is Darnell Nurse open to going to LA? We don’t know. Would the Kings and Oilers make a trade centered around Nurse and Doughty? Stranger things have happened, but to assume both would be good to make this kind of a blockbuster within their own division is a stretch.

All that said, if there’s a sense that the relationship between the Kings and Doughty isn’t great, Stan Bowman could do worse than picking up the phone and talking to Holland just to get a sense of what’s going on there.

Next: Chase by Flyers for Game-Changing D-Man Complicates Nurse Trade Talks