Analyst claims Oilers must change system in order to win a Stanley Cup

Nurse is in year 4 of an 8-year contract, at a cap hit of $9.25M, and which sees him becoming a UFA at the age of 35 in 2030.

The Oilers began the process of shedding salaries by trading Evander Kane to Vancouver for a 4th-round pick, a move that many saw as a good first-step.

However, Oilers' management has done little since to ensure the organization can acquire a top-4 forward to play with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, notwithstanding the Andrew Mangiapane signing.

The Darnell Nurse contract seems to be central to the Oilers' cap troubles, a cap of which only $226K remains available. Freeing up an additional $9.25M would go a long way toward securing a Stanley Cup.

That Nurse has not produced like a top-D in the league, brings only negative attention to him. In 2024-25, he recorded 33 points in the regular season, and 3G and 5A in 22 playoff games. In 2023-24, he recorded only 32 points, far below the league average for a top-4 defenseman on a contending team.

Darnell Nurse, however, is not the only bad contract to be attributed to Edmonton's front office. Losing Holloway and Broberg were viewed by many as poorly handled.

And the subsequent signing of Trent Frederic to an 8-year deal with a cap hit of $3.85M is problematic. This would make Trent a free agent in 2033, also at the age of 35. Between Nurse and Frederic, that's is $13.1M of cap space available to secure a top-forward and defenseman for a deep playoff run.

Jason Gregor, of course, believes you can't just ask Nurse one fine day for his blessing to be traded. And even if he waived his no-trade clause, finding a trade partner would prove difficult, unless Edmonton absorbed a good chunk of the contract.

Any way you look at it, it's not favourable for the Oilers.