Darnell Nurse
Alright, let’s get to why we’re here. The Edmonton Oilers have intriguing defensive pieces, and the Devils need intriguing defensive pieces. Darnell Nurse isn’t in perpetual trade rumors after he signed a two-year, $11.2 million extension, but that doesn’t mean he can’t be dealt. This just means he has more value because he has cost certainty.
The Oilers will want a decent return in any Nurse trade, especially since he’s playing extremely well with Ethan Bear. It’s hard to get rid of one half of the team’s top pair (unless Klefblom/Larsson is the top pair?), especially when the team is hoping to be Stanley Cup contenders soon. Still, the Devils have to ask. The Oilers have Oskar Klefblom on the cusp of being a massive hit. Philip Broberg can probably slide into the lineup immediately. Bear broke out into a star on the right side.
Nurse would, again, cost the Devils a lot in assets. The Oilers will want someone who can play exceedingly well right now and probably a 1st-round pick on top of it. The Devils need to figure out if that’s a price they are willing to pay right now. Nurse is a really good defender, but this is probably his ceiling. It’s a nice ceiling and would be really fun to put next to P.K. Subban.
The Devils are desperate for left-sided defensemen, and Nurse plays the position well. With Will Butcher are the most prominent name on the left side, it’s desperation time for newly minted general manager Tom Fitzgerald and the Devils. Does that mean breaking the bank with an old friend?