“Massive News” Trade Pitch Has Red Wings Acquiring Star $74 Million Defenseman in Blockbuster

The Detroit Red Wings are aiming to enhance their roster and become a playoff contender, with one trade proposal suggesting they acquire a standout defenseman.

Using the PuckGM tool on PuckPedia, a user proposed that the Red Wings could trade for Darnell Nurse from the Edmonton Oilers.

Red Wings would receive:

• Darnell Nurse

Oilers would receive:

• Olli Maatta
• 2026 first-round pick

This blockbuster trade would see Detroit add Nurse in exchange for Maatta and a first-round draft pick, making it a significant move.

Nurse is in the third year of his eight-year, $ 74 million contract, but his role with the Oilers has diminished. The Red Wings have the cap space to acquire the skilled defenseman, who could help mentor Moritz Seider while also providing offensive support from the blue line.

Last season, Nurse tallied 10 goals and 22 assists for a total of 32 points in 81 games. He has spent his entire 10-year NHL career with the Oilers since being selected seventh overall in the 2013 NHL Draft.

In exchange, Detroit would give up their 2026 first-round pick and defenseman Maatta, who is entering the second year of his two-year, $ 6 million contract. Maatta could take Nurse’s place on Edmonton’s blue line and provide them with greater cap flexibility. Last season, he recorded 4 goals and 14 assists for 18 points in 72 games.

Red Wings GM Wants Team to be Better Defensively

The Detroit Red Wings have not reached the playoffs since the 2015-16 season, as the team has been undergoing a rebuild.

As the 2024-25 NHL season approaches, general manager Steve Yzerman is pleased with the roster he has assembled but emphasizes the need for improved defensive performance.

“We need to enhance our defensive play across the board,” Yzerman stated. “Our special teams must perform well. Both aspects improved last season, and we were able to score more goals. However, we allowed too many goals to make the playoffs. It’s crucial to be solid in these areas. While you can sometimes manage without the best power play or penalty-killing units, you must excel in other aspects. Ultimately, strong defensive play is the key to sustained success.”

Yzerman expects the young core to continue developing, which he believes will help the team compete for a playoff spot.

“I want to see overall progress in our team and individual growth from our younger players,” Yzerman remarked. “As long as we’re moving in the right direction, that’s a positive sign.”

Detroit will kick off its 2024-25 NHL season at home on October 10 against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Nurse Considered a Trade Candidate

Despite being an important player for the Oilers, Darnell Nurse’s name came up in trade discussions this summer.

He was listed as the 19th trade target on DailyFaceoff.com’s summer board. Insider Frank Seravalli noted that trading Nurse would be a complex challenge.

“This would be a tough transaction to navigate, especially with many uncertainties, such as who the next GM in Edmonton will be and how they will perceive the situation. The Oilers may need to consider creative solutions, perhaps trading one difficult contract for another, as Nurse has the potential to bounce back as a solid Top 4 defender,” Seravalli explained.

“However, he’s currently not on the first unit for either power play or penalty kill and is playing on the second pairing, limiting his chances to justify his $9.25millioncaphit.Otherteamsarealreadyhesitantabouthiscontract,particularlythe$ 24 million in backloaded signing bonuses that make a buyout nearly impossible,” he added.

Nurse has played in 640 NHL games, scoring 76 goals and providing 191 assists for a total of 267 points.