The trade block has been in the national headlines early this offseason involving the Los Angeles Kings and expensive Edmonton Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse.
The Fourth Period's David Pagnotta reported on June 11 that the Kings and Pittsburgh Penguins are two teams "in the mix" on the trade block early this offseason for Nurse from the Oilers in the Pacific Division.
Los Angeles should be prioritizing solutions at the center position rather than allocating significant cap space and assets toward another veteran defenseman.
Darnell Nurse remains a quality defenseman, but his contract and the Los Angeles Kings' roster needs make him a questionable fit
The biggest issue is Nurse's contract. At a $9.25 million cap hit through the 2029-30 season, Los Angeles would be taking on one of the league's largest commitments for a defenseman. Nurse will be 35 years old when the deal expires, making it difficult to justify adding that type of long-term financial obligation when the Kings have more pressing needs elsewhere on the roster.
While I do think that Nurse is still a quality defenseman in the league, he isn't worth the massive size of his contract for many more seasons going into the future.
The issue isn't whether Nurse is still a capable NHL defenseman. The issue is whether his current contract aligns with the Kings' biggest needs. Los Angeles is searching for help down the middle of the lineup and preparing for future extensions for key players, making it difficult to justify absorbing one of the largest contracts among NHL defensemen.
Elliotte Friedman also reported on the 32 Thoughts podcast this week that if there's a team in the Western Conference that's interested in trading for Nurse this offseason, it could be the Kings because of the ties "to the manager" from Edmonton in the past.
The connection between Nurse and the Kings is easy to understand. Holland was the general manager who signed Nurse to his current contract in Edmonton, creating an obvious link between the player and Los Angeles this offseason.
If the Kings were to pursue a trade for Nurse, Edmonton would likely need to retain a significant portion of his salary. The Oilers might also need to include additional assets to make a deal more appealing given the size and length of the contract.
The Kings are also not in desperate need of another high-priced defenseman. Brandt Clarke is expected to play an increasingly important role on the blue line moving forward, and Los Angeles will eventually need the flexibility to keep its young core together. Preserving cap space may be more valuable than adding another veteran contract of Nurse's magnitude.
That said, given the Kings needing to address other positional needs in the roster lineup this offseason, and the team needing to make the most of the cap space this summer, it doesn't make much sense to pursue Nurse on the trade block.
The connections between Nurse and the Kings are easy to see. Holland signed him in Edmonton, and Los Angeles has reportedly emerged as a team he would approve in a trade. However, familiarity alone is not enough reason to make a move. With major questions at the center position and important contract decisions still looming, the Kings would be better served allocating their resources elsewhere this offseason.
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