4 Defencemen Who Could Replace Darnell Nurse for the Edmonton Oilers

It’s one of the hottest topics outside of the Stanley Cup Final in the NHL right now: Darnell Nurse‘s trade request. The ask from the veteran defender comes after a report that the Edmonton Oilers want to move him as soon as possible. With the wheels in motion on a potential trade, the team will need to look at replacing him in their top-six for next season.

A lot has been said about Nurse, but there are certain things you can’t take away from him. He played major minutes for the team, ranking third on the Oilers this season in ice time, behind only Connor McDavid and Evan Bouchard. He’s also been a consistent offensive contributor since becoming a full-time player, as well as an alternate captain since 2019. These things and more are what general manager Stan Bowman needs to replace and hopefully upgrade.

There are many options coming up this summer, both in free agency and via trade. Here are four of my favourites to watch as we descend upon moving season.

Jamie Oleksiak

Jamie Oleksiak will no doubt get a few looks in the free agent market in a few weeks. The towering defenceman has been with the Seattle Kraken the past five seasons, playing quiet, consistent hockey. It could be just what the Oilers need.

Oleksiak ranks middle-to-high in almost every defensive category for the Kraken this season. He ranked fourth on the team in hits, which is no surprise for him. His scoring is typically in the 10-25 points-per-season range, which is lower than Nurse’s, but he’s good for it and is a conservative defender. He was making $4.6 million on his last contract; however, he is moving into his mid-30s and had a bit of a down season, so Edmonton could get him at a discount.

Jacob Trouba

Another veteran who will have eyes on him (if his team doesn’t lock him up) is Jacob Trouba. He played a major role with an Anaheim Ducks team that knocked the Oilers out of the first round in six games in the 2026 Playoffs. He is a big-game player who plays with a swagger and edge that may make him unpopular with some fans, but you love him if he’s on your team.

Trouba was great at both ends of the ice this season. He recorded 35 points in 81 games in a strong Ducks D-core. He was also first on the team in blocked shots, second in hits, and sixth in takeaways. He is a huge threat in the corners and is definitely not afraid to catch someone with their head down in open ice. He’s another guy who will likely see his cap hit go down from his last contract, so the Oilers could take advantage and sell him on a contending team.

Nick Seeler

The idea of Nick Seeler, the veteran Philadelphia Flyers defenceman, coming to Edmonton has been floated around. While Nurse and Seeler have slightly different playing styles, the Oilers could use him as a third-pairing guy and hopefully have enough money to slot in someone else in Nurse’s usual second-pairing spot.

Seeler, like Nurse, can eat big minutes. He ranked seventh on the Flyers in that category in the regular season. While he doesn’t have the offensive upside, his defensive play makes up for it. He recorded 126 hits (fourth on the team) and blocked 149 shots (second on the team) in 2025-26. He gives the puck away significantly less than Nurse, which is a department Edmonton needs improvement in.

Seeler is still under contract with the Flyers for another two seasons at a $2.7 million cap hit. While we don’t know if Philadelphia is one of Nurse’s approved destinations, this is a possibility I like until we know more.

Connor Murphy

If the Oilers don’t want to take a chance, why not just re-sign a guy they’ve seen in the blue and orange? Connor Murphy played for the team this season after being traded from the Chicago Blackhawks at the trade deadline. He was paired with Nurse for a while, and it was clear Murphy made him a stronger player. His stay-at-home style plays great with a more offensive-minded defender.

Murphy makes sense in that sense, especially. Whoever the Oilers bring on in the second-pairing role will likely be paired with Jake Walman, who likes to jump up in the play more often than not. Murphy’s tendency to hang back works perfectly in this scenario and could be what Edmonton needs. He’s another guy with very consistent numbers year-over-year at both ends of the ice, so it all depends on what the money side of things will mean to him.

As mentioned, there are a lot of guys who will be available very soon. These are a few favourites in my opinion, but anything is possible for the Oilers.