Did the Oilers Win Day One of Free Agency? There's a Case to Be Made
Stan Bowman silenced critics by shedding Darnell Nurse's massive contract, acquiring solid young talent, picking up two goalies and fortifying the roster while maintaining crucial cap flexibility for a deep run.
Video Transcript
The Edmonton Oilers have finally escaped Darnell Nurse's 9.25 million cap hit, or rather they found someone willing to take it on.
Nurse getting traded to the San Jose Sharks for prospect Shakir Mukamadula and a prospect.
And Ryan, let's talk about this from Edmonton's angle.
The Oilers now have just under 10 million in cap space, but is there anyone available that they can spend it on?
Connor Hellebuych?
I don't know.
it's nice to have cap space.
And, yeah, in Mukamadula, you know, Edmonton gets somebody that can step in, maybe not play the same minutes that Nurse did, but maybe.
I mean, he's still a rising NHLer.
The most important thing here for Edmonton is, like, they kind of rip the Band-Aid off.
You know, Nurse, his name was in the headlines for the past couple of weeks, and it is a big cap hit, right?
I mean, there's no denying that, even with the cap going up.
And, you know, defensively, he, he, he has had his struggles recently.
So a fresh start for him and for the Oilers to get some flexibility here.
We don't know the, who the prospect is yet.
that'll be a big factor, but, no retention of salary.
so, you know, at least you're, you're, you're out of the, the Darnell Nurse business if you're Edmonton.
And if you're San Jose, you're in the Darnell Nurse business.
And, you know, let's not, you know, trash him completely.
Darnell Nurse can still be a valuable piece, to the right team in the right spot.
I look at the San Jose Sharks, Mike, and I see a team that could use all the help they could get on the blue line.
How do you see him adjusting to, you know, the Pacific Division still, but in San Jose now?
Yeah, I, I think this is a very useful addition for the Sharks.
I mean, now you have three veteran defensemen with the recently added Jacob Trouba and Dmitry Orlov.
I think, you know, Nurse is fully capable of playing a mid-pairing role.
and, you know, Trouba can play with Sam Dickinson.
So, you know, they need to add a couple depth defensemen, but this make, makes a lot of sense for the Sharks.
But they can't spend all their money because a Macklin Celebrini, extension, and Will Smith extension, and Dickinson extension will come down the road pr- fairly soon, so they can't, you know, shoot the moon, on salaries.
That's a problem for another day, and right now the problem for the Oilers is where do they spend that money, and can they make the kind of acquisition that's gonna make them a Stanley Cup threat?
We'll, we'll see.
summer's not quite over just yet.
