Frank Seravalli Sees Darnell Nurse Oilers Situation Shifting in Trade Market
The darnell nurse oilers situation may have turned. Frank Seravalli said the same market that lifted Nurse’s deal in 2021 could now help the Edmonton Oilers move him for a decent return.
He described a market where teams are asking about players while trying not to create holes on their own rosters, and said Edmonton is ready and willing to move on from Nurse. The Oilers are also trying to use the space from moving him to improve elsewhere this summer.
Seravalli on Oilers Now
Seravalli discussed the NHL trade market with Bob Stauffer on Oilers Now and laid out why this case stands out. “I think that’s where the Darnell Nurse situation is pretty interesting for the Oilers,” he said.
His point was simple: another team could improve with Nurse without giving up much from its current roster. “That’s one situation for a team that’s out there that could improve with Darnell Nurse without really having to give up a whole heck of a lot, and probably nothing at all from their current roster,” Seravalli said.
That is the leverage Edmonton is trying to use. If a buying team sees Nurse as a clean addition, the Oilers may not need to attach a major sweetener just to clear the contract.
Nurse, Jones, and the 2021 market
The starting point for that leverage goes back to the summer of 2021, when Nurse signed for $9.25 million over eight years. At the same time, the Chicago Blackhawks gave Seth Jones a $9.5 million per year deal, and Jones was then viewed as a comparable for Nurse.
That contract environment mattered because it pushed Nurse’s price into territory shaped by another player’s deal. Jones later rebounded and played well in Florida, which adds another layer to how his name still frames the discussion around Nurse’s value.
Seravalli also said teams are calling around asking for players while trying not to create holes on their own rosters. That makes the market less about simple cap clearing and more about whether one club sees Nurse as a fit it can add without gutting its lineup.
For Edmonton, the practical issue is roster flexibility. Seravalli said the Oilers want to move on from Nurse and use the space to improve elsewhere this summer, so the value in a deal is not just the return itself but what the club can do with the room it opens.
