NHL rumors: The package Sharks could offer to Oilers to acquire Darnell Nurse

The Edmonton Oilers were eliminated from the playoffs in the first round by the Anaheim Ducks. Shortly after, they fired head coach Kris Knoblauch to start a win-now offseason. That offseason should involve trades, which Daily FaceOff’s Jeff Marek says should involve a defenseman. Darnell Nurse could be the right fit for the San Jose Sharks if the Oilers are willing to move him, according to Marek.

Jeff Marek talks about some options for the Edmonton Oilers, including UPL, Kesselring and Jordan Kyrou

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“The San Jose Sharks are looking for a defenseman, and they have a surplus of young forwards,” Marek said. “If you’re the Oilers, is there something there with the Sharks to take Darnell Nurse for one of their excess forwards. Even if it’s someone like Collin Graf. These are the kinds of things, if you’re Stan Bowman, I think you’re probably looking at right now.”

Nurse has four years left on his contract at $9.25 million per season and has a full no-trade clause. He has not been the top-flight defenseman the Oilers are paying him to be, and they have other players to fill that role. The Sharks, on the other hand, do not have young defenseman coming up through the pipeline.

The Sharks won the second NHL Draft Lottery and will pick second in June. They could take a defenseman there, but that does not mean that player will be ready to be a dominant defenseman in Year 1. That could lead them to bring in Nurse to man their powerplay in the meantime while they develop some other defensive talent.

Nurse has nearly no trade value because of his albatross contract and poor playoff performance. Collin Graf scored 21 goals for the Sharks last year, but is not one of the top-flight forwards in the pipeline. If Mike Grier wants to make a big push next season, Nurse could be the guy to target.

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