Darnell Nurse’s Replacement Is Already on the Oilers

Edmonton Oilers defenceman Darnell Nurse is open to accepting a trade this offseason, despite having a full no-movement clause. It’s time that both parties move on and seek a solution. Nurse has a hefty $9.25 million cap hit for the next four seasons, so it will be interesting to see what a potential trade would look like.

During his recent 32 Thoughts podcast, NHL insider Elliotte Friedman stated that there is a market for the veteran defenceman and a few teams are interested. So, a trade seems inevitable, despite his significant salary.

Nurse is heavily criticized because of his contract. However, he still logs big minutes and plays an important role. But, the organization doesn’t need to seek an external solution because Nurse’s replacement is already with the Oilers.

Jake Walman Is Nurse’s Replacement

Jake Walman can easily fill the void Nurse will leave behind. The Oilers inked Walman to a seven-year deal with a $7 million cap hit last October, which hasn’t kicked in yet. The organization has committed to Walman, and he’s already being paid second-pairing money. He finished the season on the third pair alongside Ty Emberson, but he must step up and take on a larger role.

He battled injuries last season, but when he played, his advanced stats were underwhelming. In 875:22 of 5-on-5 ice time, Walman was on the ice for 50.88 percent of the shots, 43.59 percent of the scoring chances, 45.35 percent of the high-danger scoring chances, 40.91 percent of the goals, and 34.38 percent of the high-danger goals.

In comparison, after the Oilers acquired him at the 2025 Trade Deadline, he was on the ice for 56.63 percent of the shots, 54.04 percent of the scoring chances, 54.21 percent of the high-danger scoring chances, 61.90 percent of the goals, and 61.54 percent of the high-danger goals in 248:54 of 5-on-5 ice time. That difference is jarring.

His numbers fell off a cliff this season. He has proven that he can have a positive impact, and the team needs him to find his game. He has an underrated shot, and he’s a solid puck mover. His offensive game is quietly good, as he registered eight goals and 20 points in 53 games last season. He will need to continue being a solid offensive contributor without Nurse, given his new contract. The pressure will be ramped up for the 30-year-old, but can he live up to expectations? Hopefully, he can bounce back and provide quality top-four minutes.

If the Oilers re-sign Connor Murphy, they still have a solid top-four defence corps with Walman, Murphy, Evan Bouchard, and Mattias Ekholm. Walman can play with Murphy, even though that duo got caved in when they played together at 5-on-5. Or, the Oilers can switch things up and pair Walman with Bouchard, while limiting Ekholm’s minutes. The Oilers still have options with how they deploy their top-four defensive unit, even without Nurse.

Then, they can use that cap savings from unloading Nurse’s contract to fill other needs in the lineup, like acquiring a top-six forward, adding a depth defenceman, or improving the goaltending.

Oilers Should Improve the Third Pair

There’s no need to spend more money on a top-four blueliner. Instead, they should find a reliable left-shot third-pairing defenceman on a reasonable contract, whether that be through a trade or via free agency.

Available trade options could include Nick Seeler, Tyler Tucker, and Simon Benoit. Potential unrestricted free agents (UFAs) include Carson Soucy, Brett Kulak, Ryan Shea, Logan Stanley, Matt Grzelcyk, Jeremy Lauzon, and Jamie Oleksiak. The Oilers have options, especially in free agency, to add a solid third-pairing or depth defenceman.

Another caveat in this is Spencer Stastney. He’s a restricted free agent (RFA), and he could factor into a full-time third-pairing role. He lost his spot after the trade deadline when the Oilers acquired Murphy. He was healthy scratched for the final 12 regular-season games and all six playoff games. Despite that, he’s a completely capable defenceman who can step in and do a solid job in limited ice time. Hopefully, the 26-year-old can take on a larger role in 2026-27, especially if Nurse is traded.

At the end of the day, the Oilers must manage the salary cap much better moving forward and find value contracts. Keep following The Hockey Writers for all your NHL content throughout the offseason.

Advanced stats courtesy of Natural Stat Trick.