The Edmonton Oilers will be trading Darnell Nurse this offseason, and the Pittsburgh Penguins make sense as a potential fit.
The news of Nurse requesting a trade came recently, and while Oilers fans seem ready to move on from him, it still came as a surprise, as fans were under the impression he wasn’t going anywhere, despite a previous report from Mark Spector stating that his time with the Oilers was running out.
Darnell Nurse has requested a trade from the Oilers, per @FriedgeHNIC and @SportsnetSpec. pic.twitter.com/Xv6YfaJN6n
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) June 11, 2026
Nurse, who is 31 years old, scored seven goals and added 17 assists for 24 points through 82 games last season. Throughout his career, he has scored 88 goals and added 236 assists for 324 points through 798 games.
His $9.25 million cap hit makes him hard to move, but at the same time, it sounds like the Oilers would be willing to retain some of it for the remainder of his contract.
In this article, we take a quick look at a hypothetical deal between the Oilers and Penguins involving Nurse. Keep in mind, this is not a report, and there are no indications that either the Oilers or Penguins have discussed anything involving Nurse.
Oilers Dump Nurse, Land Replacement
In a recent post from David Pagnotta, it was revealed that the Penguins were a team that Nurse would be willing to waive his trade protection for, making them a strong possibility as a landing spot.
Per sources, the Kings and Penguins are two teams Nurse would accept a trade to.
— David Pagnotta (@TheFourthPeriod) June 11, 2026
More on that, Hellebuyck, and other chatter across the NHL in today’s latest piece https://t.co/Y8tpRs9Bkx
The Penguins likely don’t want to take on Nurse’s entire contract, nor will they want to pay a significant amount to bring him in. I don’t think there is a world where the Oilers could create a package strong enough to land someone like Rickard Rakell or Bryan Rust, but there is still a way for the Oilers to bring back something that helps them.
Hypothetically, the Penguins acquire Nurse, with the Oilers retaining $1.25 million, which drops his cap hit to $8 million, as well as a third-round pick in 2028. In return, the Oilers acquire Parker Wotherspoon.
Wotherspoon steps in as a replacement for Nurse on the blue line, and he could be a stable addition to place alongside Evan Bouchard. Bouchard and Wotherspoon played together at the 2026 IIHF World Championship and were extremely solid, and bringing him in allows the Oilers to spread out their defensive depth.
The Penguins land a veteran defender with a lot of playoff experience, while adding a draft pick. They have a lot of cap space this offseason, and while Nurse might not be the answer to all of their problems, he helps the Penguins reach the cap floor, and gives them a veteran who has had success in the past. While the Penguins continue to try and contend before Sidney Crosby decides to retire, adding experience never hurts.
There will be a few teams interested in Nurse as the offseason moves along, and while the Oilers seem adamant on moving him at this point, they have to be willing to retain some salary if they want to have a chance at bringing back a solid return.
We will see what happens with Nurse this summer, but the Penguins seem like a possible trade destination for him. One thing is for sure, though, Nurse has played his last game as a member of the Oilers.
As the 2026-27 season approaches, be sure to continue following The Hockey Writers as your source for news, updates, and more from around the NHL and the hockey world.
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