The idea of the Edmonton Oilers trading Darnell Nurse is no longer just speculation; it’s now a question of when, not if.

According to Sportsnet’s Mark Spector, the Oilers are set to approach Nurse “in the coming days about his wishes” and that the team “are ready and willing to trade Nurse as soon as they are able.”

Nurse has spent 12 seasons in Edmonton, and with the Oilers still having not reached their goal of winning the Stanley Cup in that span, a change is needed. With that reality setting in, there are several reasons why now, more than ever, is the right time to trade the Oilers’ longest-serving defenceman.

McDavid’s championship window is now

The stakes were raised in Edmonton when Connor McDavid signed a two-year extension at an average annual value (AAV) of $12.5 million last October, leaving millions on the table to help the Oilers stay competitive. However, with their 2025-26 first-round exit to the Anaheim Ducks, it likely left a bitter taste with the captain, and now success next season becomes even more critical.

As Jay Downton said recently, “This is the last dance. It is Stanley Cup or bust, because if it’s not Stanley Cup, then we honestly have to think about the non-Connor McDavid era.” It’s a tough reality, but it’s the truth. Next season’s outcome may determine McDavid’s long-term future with the Oilers.

The clock is potentially ticking on McDavid’s future in Oil Country, and one of the team’s priorities beyond winning a Cup is convincing the captain to stay once his two-year contract is up, and management needs to show him they’re serious about winning.

One way to do that is to get cutthroat, move on from what isn’t working, and they’ve already started to do that, with the firing of head coach Kris Knoblauch and assistant Mark Stuart being the first dominoes to fall.

The next issue that doesn’t appear to be working is Nurse — who deflected 17 pucks into his own net in 2025-26 — and his effectiveness on the blue line.

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