Darnell Nurse can hardly claim to have a good season. With just 8 points in 22 playoff matches, the 30-year-old’s 2024-25 postseason was almost a reflection of the Oilers’ disappointing Stanley Cup campaign. Naturally, it wouldn’t be too surprising to see Edmonton trying to move around the defenseman to make room for new blood on the roster. However, the man himself seems to think that such rumors should be kept under a lid.
Nurse is about to enter the fourth year of his eight-year $72 million contract with the Oilers, a sum many fans had previously posited as too high for someone as inconsistent as the Ontario native. Furthermore, his $9.25 million AAV is often projected as a major obstacle in Edmonton’s salary cap flexibility, making trade rumors ahead of the 2025-26 season even more justified. However, while NHL insiders claim that the franchise quietly tried to find a new camp for Nurse, he isn’t one to pay heed to the gossip.
Just a day ago, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman insisted that the Edmonton Oilers attempted to trade Darnell Nurse in order to find a new face for their blueline. “I think basically Edmonton went to a check with all their guys who had no trade clauses,” Friedman stated during a recent episode of the 32 Thoughts podcast, noting that Nuse didn’t want to waive his no-movement clause. However, in an Instagram story update from July 7, the star defenseman addressed the assumption with a quirky take.
Nurse’s IG story came with no words, but rather with a meme. “Why you always lying,” being the general theme of the popular meme, the Oilers defenseman effectively brushed aside all rumors that Edmonton wanted him to waive the no-trade clause in his contract.
The story is developing
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