In today’s NHL rumors rundown, the Edmonton Oilers approached players with no-trade clauses about possibly waiving them. Darnell Nurse was among those asked. What was the result of that conversation? Meanwhile, the Buffalo Sabres have elected arbitration with defenseman Bowen Byram. What comes next? Finally, are the Montreal Canadiens considering a Michael Matheson trade?
Oilers Asked Nurse About His No-Trade Clause
Elliotte Friedman reported during his last 32 Thoughts podcast of the season that key veterans like Darnell Nurse and Adam Henrique were asked about their willingness to waive their no-trade clauses. Both made it clear they wanted to remain in Edmonton. Only Viktor Arvidsson was willing to go elsewhere, knowing he would get a better opportunity with the Boston Bruins.
Related: Oilers Quietly Explored Offseason Trade of Top Defenseman
It’s intriguing that the Oilers were willing to risk the fallout of that getting around, and likely to Connor McDavid. The two are close friends, and McDavid would undoubtedly want Nurse to be part of the Oilers’ eventual winning of the Stanley Cup if they can do so. On the other hand, Nurse must indicate that McDavid is likely to stay with the Oilers as one would assume he’d be more willing to move on if McDavid were not a part of the long-term plans.
Nurse is locked into a deal that pays him $9.25 million until 2023. Moving him would have freed up significant cap space to do other things. However, it also would have left a hole on the Oilers blue line as he plays big minutes in various situations.
Sabres Elect For Salary Arbitration with Byram
Following reports that the threat of an offer sheet was real and that something might have been coming this past weekend, the Buffalo Sabres have elected salary arbitration with restricted free agent Bowen Byram. This closes the door on the possibility of a Byram offer sheet. That’s the good news.
The bad news is that Byram has two years until becoming a UFA, and a two-year deal (which is now on the table in arbitration) would walk Byram and his agent Darren Ferris right to UFA status.
Buffalo has to know if they don’t make a trade right away, they probably won’t be able to do it next year.
The St. Louis Blues are still considered a frontrunner to land Byram in a trade. The return is unclear, but the Sabres have publicly said they want players who can help them today, not futures.
Might the Canadiens Trade Mike Matheson?
According to NHL insider Frank Seravalli, Montreal Canadiens defenseman Michael Matheson could be on the move. After trading for and signing Noah Dobson, the Canadiens might not see Matheson as part of their longer-term plans. He is in the final year of his current contract and could be re-signed, but he’s also on a reasonable cap number, and there would be teams interested if he were to hit the trade block.
The Canadiens have been and will likely remain an active participant in trades this season. The market is expected to pick up in the next couple of weeks and Montreal is working to be a contender.
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