Nurse asks Oilers to trade him: reports

TSN is reporting that Oilers defenceman and assistant captain Darnell Nurse has asked for a trade.

A longtime Edmonton Oiler wants out.

TSN confirmed reports on Thursday that Darnell Nurse has asked for a trade from the only National Hockey League team the bruising defenceman has played for since he was drafted by them 13 years ago.

The 31-year-old was taken seventh overall by the Oilers in the 2013 NHL Draft before making his full-time debut with them two years later. Nurse has logged almost 800 games with the club over 11 seasons.

He has been a fixture on the Oilers’ second defensive pairing over the last three seasons, five years after he signed an eyebrow-raising $74-million contract extension over eight years.

The deal has four more seasons remaining on it and currently includes a full no-movement trade clause. Nurse has reportedly given the Oilers a list of teams to which he would accept a trade.

Nurse had been playing top-pairing minutes on the Oilers’ blue line until the arrival and establishment of Evan Bouchard on defence and on the power play. He has seen his ice-time reduced to an average of almost 21 minutes a game last season, compared to his average high of above 25 minutes five years ago.