The 2026 NHL offseason is here, and the pitchforks are out in Edmonton and Toronto. Darnell Nurse and Morgan Rielly are the designated scapegoats. Both blue-liners just wrapped up miserable campaigns, turning their massive contracts into lightning rods for talk radio rage. Naturally, the trade rumors are flying.
But hold the phone. Despite the ugly stats and eye-watering cap hits, NHL insider David Pagnotta says these guys aren’t toxic assets. Speaking on Oilers Nation Everyday, he shut down the internet GMs demanding Edmonton or Toronto attach first-round picks just to rid themselves of these contracts. It’s not happening.
“There are teams that have interest in Nurse,” Pagnotta noted. He sees him as a legitimate second-pair option. A change of scenery would do wonders. It gets him away from the relentless pressure of that monstrous $9.25 million cap hit. Social media wants a 50 percent salary retention and a sweetener. Pagnotta says that’s fantasy. Sure, the Oilers might eat a little cash to grease the wheels, but they aren’t giving away assets for nothing.
Let’s look at the damage. Nurse managed a pathetic 24 points in 82 games, paired with a minus-12 rating. Rielly wasn’t much better. He put up 36 points but dragged a career-worst minus-18 rating across the ice. When you earn $9.25 million and $7.5 million respectively, those numbers get you roasted.
Still, NHL front offices operate on desperation. They see utility where fans see cap space. Pagnotta argues that while neither player is a top-pairing savior anymore, they still belong in the league. Rielly at $7.5 million is far easier to swallow than Nurse’s bloated ticket, but both can still play.
The fix is simple. Play them less. Both averaged over 21 minutes a night last year. That’s too much. Cut Nurse down to 17 minutes. He becomes instantly more effective. It’s about deployment, not reputation.
Edmonton needs cap space. Toronto, now under John Chayka’s analytical scalpel, wants a rebuild of the blue line. Trades are highly possible. Just don’t expect these blockbusters to look like desperate salary dumps. They are still NHL defensemen. Overpriced? Absolutely. But far from worthless.
