Fantasy trade if Evander Kane and Darnell Nurse are moved at the deadline

During his time with the Edmonton Oilers, Evander Kane has become a fan-favorite, and somewhat put the city on the map for players who want to join a winning franchise. He is a dedicated hockey player who put the team first on all accounts and played all of last season with a sports hernia that eventually knocked him out of the Stanley Cup Final and required offseason surgery.

As a result of the surgery, Kane will be going on Long-Term Injured Reserve (LITR). This means the winger will remain sidelined for quite some time and we will have to wait and see what the scenario for his return will be.

The temporary cap relief the Oilers will have reserved because of Kane's injury is $5.125 million. However, the value of his leadership and on-ice game presence is priceless; I will give credit where it is due.

A trade scenario for Kane

However, I did come up with a potential trade scenario that could see Kane traded at the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline. After all, he could prove to be a good fit for other teams out there.

There may be a handful of teams interested in Kane's services, which could also provide the Oilers with the top-four defenceman the Oilers are in need of. These potential teams include the Chicago Blackhawks, perhaps the Vegas Golden Knights, and the Florida Panthers.

I will be honest with you, though - the first team that comes to mind in this scenario is the Pittsburgh Penguins, who possess cap space that is similar to the Oilers. (As per PuckPedia, the Penguins have just $874,233 of cap space, while the Oilers have $945,833.) The Penguins have amassed due to the hard work of general manager Kyle Dubas, an essential aspect as they build for the future.

Why the Penguins?

Eik Karlsson himself was at the centre of trade speculation after the end of last season. He was faced with this adversity because of his uncharacteristic performance during last the 2023-24 regular season and the nature of his contract.

It is an Average Annual Value (AAV) of $11.5 million per season, and Karlsson is in year six of an eight-year deal. To sweeten the pot for this trade however, you likely need to add another player to make it a fair-value trade, and offloading a contract such as Darnell Nurse's may be the right fit to complete the deal.

The reason for this, is Karlsson is a decorated defenceman the Oilers may want to consider acquiring, meaning doing whatever it takes. His on-ice presence, goal-scoring and playmaking abilities, are aspects the Oilers would benefit from on a nightly basis, with him also being the top-four defenceman they currently need.

Combining Kane and Nurse's contracts would add up to $14.375 million of cap space per season, and would give both a well-deserved fresh start somewhere else. Although this does leave another $2.875 million for the Penguins to consider in making it fair-value tradeoff, given the AAV of Karlsson's contract.

This could be where Matt Grzelcyk and his one-year deal worth $2.75 million play a part. He would potentially be another defenceman the Oilers may consider to bolster their blue line.

What the Penguins would be getting

Nurse is in the third year of his contract, stretches for another five years and could be that depth defenceman the Penguins may benefit from. He has been unfairly judged for his contract, comparing it to his performances and he may benefit from a trade to the Penguins, including improving his confidence to play better.

Nurse will give 100 percent to the game and provide the Penguins with a much-needed leadership approach. Playing with fellow defenceman Kris Letang can also bolster his game and make his contract look more justified.

Kane's toughness, ability to score goals and set up the open man are all beneficial. He would give the Penguins added confidence in their forward options.

Kane and Nurse are top-notch hockey players who both know how to play the game with a gritty approach for their team, regularly demonstrating this for the City of Edmonton. This could be a whirlwind trade by the Oilers and Pengions, which can potentially benefit both teams.

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