NHL Rumor Roundup: Oilers' Early Playoff Exit Sparks Rumors About McDavid's And Nurse's Futures
The Edmonton Oilers' first-round exit from the 2026 NHL playoffs was a bitter disappointment to the team after back-to-back trips to the Stanley Cup final.
Oilers captain Connor McDavid didn't mince words about his club's performance. Speaking to reporters after the Anaheim Ducks eliminated his club in Game 6, McDavid said he felt they were an "average team with high expectations" throughout this season.
During the Oilers' dressing room cleanout on Saturday, center Leon Draisaitl said he felt they "were not trending in the right direction," adding they've taken "big steps backward."
Post-Mortem: What Should The Edmonton Oilers Do After A Disappointing Season?
The Edmonton Oilers did not look like Stanley Cup front-runners this season. As Connor McDavid said, they looked average. There are burning questions the team must face.
Meanwhile, Sean Gentille and Chris Johnston of The Athletic reported Oilers GM Stan Bowman will have his hands full addressing his roster's weaknesses this summer.
Finding a starting goaltender is a priority. Tristan Jarry has two years left on his contract, but he struggled to fill the starter's job. Backups Connor Ingram and Calvin Pickard are UFA-eligible this summer.
Few suitable options are available in this summer's free-agent market. Gentille and Johnston wondered if Bowman might pursue Jordan Binnington of the St. Louis Blues or Adin Hill of the Vegas Golden Knights in the trade market.
The two pundits believe Bowman's biggest decision is what to do with Darnell Nurse, whose performance has declined in recent years.
The 31-year-old defenseman has four years left on his contract with an average annual value of $9.25 million and a full no-movement clause. If Bowman can convince Nurse to waive his clause, it would free up significant cap space to address their roster needs.
Kurt Leavins of the Edmonton Journalalso recommended attempting to move Nurse but admitted it won't be an easy process. He warned Oilers fans that they "need to be aware that you will not replace him for free." That could mean retaining part of his salary-cap hit, bundling him with other assets to make the deal more palatable or taking back a bad contract.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
The Hockey News
This story was originally published May 4, 2026 at 10:14 AM.