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Oilers must focus on a third pair defenceman — not a Darnell Nurse replacement
Edmonton Oilers defenceman Darnell Nurse
Photo credit: David Gonzales-Imagn Images
Liam Horrobin
Jun 30, 2026, 19:00 EDTUpdated: Jun 30, 2026, 18:33 EDT
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The Edmonton Oilers are spending the majority of their time right now trying to move on from Darnell Nurse.
That’s what the latest update from Pierre LeBrun last night on SportsCentre with Jay Onrait. Many other NHL insiders have reported that the market is much more positive on Nurse than one might think. David Pagnotta has mentioned that on Oilersnation Everyday, as well as Elliotte Friedman on his 32 Thoughts Podcast.
The Nurse move needs to happen due to his contract situation. Despite the cap increasing so much, his $9.25 million average annual value is money the Oilers need to move to address other needs. 
No matter what you think of the Oilers’ veteran blueline, a void is going to be left on the backend once he departs. Nurse has averaged over 20 minutes per game over the past seven seasons, playing a key role on the penalty kill and in the leadership group.
Luckily, Edmonton does have an in-house replacement in Jake Walman. 
Injuries played a factor in an underwhelming season for Walman in 2026. You could argue injuries have always played a role in Walman’s seasons, with more than 60 games played just three times over his 320-game career. Nevertheless, he’s the Oilers’ best option to step up and replace Nurse in Edmonton’s top four.
With that said, Walman wasn’t pleasing to the eye last season either. He struggled tremendously at five-on-five, with a team-worst 32.56 scoring chances against per 60, resulting from allowing 61.82 shot attempts against per 60. His offensive production was average, too, so he wasn’t able to cancel out any of the errors.
The good news is that his stats are significantly inflated compared to when he arrived in Edmonton after the trade deadline, suggesting he can bounce back. 
2024-25
2025-26
TOI
16.59
16.52
CF/60
67.98
57.30
CA/60
52.79
61.82
SF/60
33.99
27.90
SA/60
26.03
26.94
GF/60
3.13
2.47
GA/60
1.93
3.56
SCF/60
30.61
25.15
SCA/60
26.03
32.56

Walman must meet expectations

With the assumption that Mattias Ekholm, Evan Bouchard, Connor Murphy, and Walman are the top four next season, the Oilers could be in a worse position. They’re relying on a player now in Walman, who has performed for them in the past, to find his game again. It felt like, in moments during the series against Anaheim, we saw it.
Now that needs to happen consistently because he isn’t a $3.4 million defenceman anymore. He’s got that $7 million label, and that comes with expectations. 
Another reason why Walman is their best option is the lack of replacements in free agency. The top guys, Rasmus Andersson and John Carlson, aren’t coming to Edmonton. Carlson’s agent announced he wants to go back to the Eastern Conference, with his rights traded to Carolina. Andersson has publicly stated that he hates Edmonton. They’re also both right shots, so cross those names off. 
Mario Ferraro, Ryan Shea, and Brett Kulak are the left-shot defencemen projected to earn contracts with a cap hit larger than $4 million, according to AFP Analytics’ contract projections. Kulak has already cashed in at $4.5 million with Colorado.
Ferraro is a player they must avoid at a projected $5.13 million. His age is good at 27, but he isn’t the top player Edmonton needs for the position they’d have him in. They’re looking for a bottom-pair left shot that can fill in the top four when needed. 
Name
Age
Prog. Length
Proj. Cap Hit
Proj. Total Value
Mario Ferraro
27
4 years
$5.13 M
$20.5 M
Ryan Shea
29
4 years
$4.37 M
$17.5 M
Brett Kulak
32
3 years
$4.05 M
$12.15 M
Jeremy Lauzon
29
3 years
$3.13 M
$9.39 M
Ian Cole
37
1 year
$2.96 M
$5.92 M
Jamie Oleksiak
33
2 years
$2.95 M
$5.90 M
Logan Stanley
28
2 years
2.38 M
$4.77 M
Carson Soucy
31
2 years
$2.15 M
$4.30 M
Matt Grzelcyk
32
1 year
$1.99 M
$1.99 M
Jake Bean
28
1 year
$1.36 M
1.36 M

Soucy is a fit

Carson Soucy is a name Edmonton should call on.
If you remember, a few years ago, the Oilers released a bunch of jerseys they had made up for players they were clearly interested in at the deadline. Soucy was one of those names, but granted, that was a different management team. However, you’re getting good value in a market where prices are ridiculously high. 
Soucy spent last season in the New York area, split between the Rangers and Islanders, playing 76 regular-season games. Things didn’t work out on Long Island, leading to a swift departure and a return to the market. Soucy has previously shown he wants to play on the West Coast, signing free-agent deals with the Vancouver Canucks and Seattle Kraken. 
Offence isn’t something Soucy has ever thrived in throughout his NHL career. His career high is 10 goals and 21 points with Seattle in 2022. Other than that, he’s never scored 20 points in a season. 
Instead, Soucy is a stay-at-home third-pair defenceman that you can rely on. He’s a player who consistently makes the right defensive reads, disrupts plays early and turns defensive possession in the right direction.
Additionally, he’s not a heavy body checker, averaging 0.37 per 20 minutes. Instead, he uses his stick effectively, especially on defensive entries. Also, Soucy has no problem getting in lanes and blocking shots. 
With the market the way it is this July, it would be foolish for the Oilers to waste money on a Darnell Nurse replacement — they don’t exist. Instead, allow Jake Walman to fill that role and find cheaper value on your bottom pair, alongside Ty Emberson.
With the extra savings, you can reinvest that money into your forward group. 

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