Darnell Nurse wants out.
Oilers defender Darnell Nurse has requested a trade after 12 years in Edmonton, according to multiple reports.
The Oilers alternate captain ranks seventh in games played for the team, ahead of names like Connor McDavid, Wayne Gretzky, and Jari Kurri.
Nurse does have a full no-trade clause until July 1, 2027, meaning nothing could happen without his approval, though he’s given the team a list of 3-5 he would be interested in going to, per Sportsnet.ca.
Nurse is coming off a season with 24 points from seven goals and 17 assists in 82 games.
The Hamilton, Ontario, native averaged just over 20 minutes on the ice per game and was -12 on the year.
It won’t be easy dealing with the veteran as he brings an annual cap hit of $9.25 million through 2029-30, but after spending his whole career in Edmonton, he’s ready for a fresh start.
Nurse was a key contributor to the Oilers getting to back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals in 2024 and 2025, but the team flamed out in a six-game first-round playoff series loss to the Ducks.
That saw the franchise fire coach Chris Knoblauch after two-plus seasons at the helm.
Edmonton sought permission — and was denied it — to speak to fired Vegas Golden Knights coach Bruce Cassidy, and has seemingly turned its eye toward Mike Babcock.
While nothing is official yet, Edmonton is reportedly in advanced negotiations with the disgraced coach, who resigned as coach of the Blue Jackets less than three months after taking the job over allegations made on the “Spittin’ Chiclets” podcast that he asked players to share personal photos on their phones with him.
Babcock, 63, won a Stanley Cup with Detroit in 2008 and reached the Final in 2003 and 2009. He was fired by the Maple Leafs in 2019, with claims of his harsh treatment of players coming to light after.