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Real Life Podcast: NHL Free Agency, Stan Bowman cooks, and the Darnell Nurse trade

Photo credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images
Jul 2, 2026, 22:00 EDTUpdated: Jul 2, 2026, 16:48 EDT
Thursday afternoon means a fresh episode of Real Life was recorded and edited, and it’s ready to help you wrap up the week. On today’s podcast, the guys discussed Tyler heading to Toronto for NHL Free Agency, the Darnell Nurse trade, the Oilers’ goaltending trio, and much more.
The guys kicked off this week’s episode of Real Life with a conversation about the video version of the podcast, and how Wanye just learned that the full podcast hasn’t been uploaded to YouTube in over a year. That led to a discussion about TNN’s approach to loading videos to the platform, and how much we’ve learned by trial and error over the last handful of years. While the conversation may have been incredibly nerdy, it’s always fun to give people a peek behind the curtain.
Shifting gears, the boys got started on a free agency recap about how the Oilers did on day one of the NHL’s annual shopping spree, but that was quickly derailed by conversations about literally anything else. Whether it was Kawhi Leonard going back to Toronto, the theories surrounding his return, and whether the NBA has a bigger problem on its hands. The guys also spent some time talking about Vinny Desharnais’ massive deal in Washington, and how it’s wild that he locked in a bigger contract than Connor Murphy.
Finally, the guys wrapped up the podcast on the Thursday episode of Real Life with a run of topics, starting with a breakdown of the Oilers’ revamped goaltending, the Darnell Nurse trade, and how Stan Bowman did some amazing work that was completely unexpected. After a huge day for the team, it was fun to have a discussion about the Oilers doing amazing work instead of leaving people scratching their heads.
Listen to the Thursday episode of Real Life below:
Subscribe to the Real Life Podcast for FREE on Spotify here, on Apple Podcasts here, on YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Breaking News
- Real Life Podcast: NHL Free Agency, Stan Bowman cooks, and the Darnell Nurse trade
- NHL Notebook: Who are the best free agents still available?
- Breaking down the contract structure of all nine Oilers additions
- Looking back at Darnell Nurse’s best moments with the Oilers
- How Ryan Shea will reshape the Edmonton Oilers’ blue line
