Last week’s note about Darnell Nurse’s trade request got a little more interesting when David Pagnotta reported that Pittsburgh and Los Angeles were two teams that Nurse told Edmonton where he would accept a trade. Pagnotta talked a little more:
Given how the Tristan Jarry trade worked out so wonderfully for Pittsburgh, it’s encouraging to hear that the Oilers are still taking calls from the 412 area code and considering future possible transactions. “Make as many trades as possible with Ken Holland” sounds like a very worthwhile managerial strategy these days.
Whether a deal can be made likely hinges on just how much the Penguins think Nurse can add to them at this point of his career in his 30’s and with a hefty $9.25 million cap hit compared to just what the Oilers are looking to get in return.
Nurse can be a fascinating topic on the internet, many recoil at the mention of him. Under the hood, he provides some value, though not to the levels of his contract.
In part, Goldman writes:
His comps point to some dicey outcomes, too — Michal Rozsival, Derek Morris, Jake Muzzin and Erik Johnson are potential cautionary tales.
Separate the player from that $9.25 million contract, and get him out of Edmonton (where defense was a team-wide struggle most of this year), and there could still be something left to extract. Maybe he becomes the next Brayden McNabb and extends his career. A Brad Stuart path would be pretty neutral, too.
This part also stood out:
Past reclamation projects show potential. Fowler and Trouba upped their game with new teams. Rasmus Ristolainen has played some of his best hockey in Philadelphia because the team’s structure insulates him so much, even when he manages the puck poorly. Seth Jones’ game was revitalized in Florida, thanks to their defensive foundation and a role change from a No. 1 to a second-pair player.
Ultimately, the Pens would have to hope to get something of a Trouba, Jones or Ristolainen outcome out of acquiring Nurse, if that’s how it went. The belief that Nurse could have a bounce back would come baked into any assumption that Pittsburgh would be interested in this player, which may or may not be the case at the highest levels of management. As we mentioned in the story last week, Jason Spezza and Kyle Dubas were with Team Canada at the recent World Championships and saw plenty of Nurse in person, so it figures they would have a pretty good recent impression of what they’re dealing with. (Whether that impression makes them more or less inclined to want Nurse at this point would be an unknown).
One path for the Penguins to make this acquisition make more sense would be to include Ryan Graves. Graves has $4.5 million annually for three more seasons. Graves is a virtual non-factor having been scratched more than he plays in the NHL, and that’s when he’s not been outright waived and sent to the AHL. Having an overpaid defenseman like Nurse that is at least NHL quality would be better than a complete liability like Graves – with a big kicker being that Nurse’s contract lasts one extra year.
For their part, the Oilers probably wouldn’t be too keen about taking on Graves though they might not have many other options given Nuse’s full no movement clause. Edmonton would benefit by dropping a $9.25 million player that isn’t working out in exchange for a $3.275 million cap penalty (assuming they buried Graves in the AHL, $1.225 million of his $4.5m cap hit would be attained in space) for one less year, which might be palatable in the big picture.
Should that come to effect, Pittsburgh would likely have to sweeten the pot for the Oilers since the reputation/perception of Nurse as a contributing player with an enlarged salary ought to still carry some level of positive value – especially if some of those salary concerns get balanced out by taking a bad contract.
If Edmonton isn’t looking to ‘eat money’ either directly by retaining salary on Nurse or indirectly by taking back some money on a contract the Pens would want to shed, a path towards a deal becomes more difficult. Pittsburgh has plenty of cap space to accommodate Nurse but the question would then become do they really want this player at a high rate for four more years that doesn’t fit the goal of getting younger? That becomes less likely of a realistic proposition.
Resolution to Nurse’s trade request will be worth tracking, given that the player has put the Pens on a short list of locations. Culminating a deal with the salary involved and hammering out an acceptable value is going to be tricky for Edmonton and whomever they end up making a trade with in this case. With the draft looming next weekend and the active July 1st date coming up, there could be an answer on this sooner than later to see if the Penguins are able or want to make another transaction with the Oilers. The path to get there could be made, if both sides are interested, though it might take some tricky compromises to find footing to have each team figure that they accomplish objectives in the process.
