Darnell Nurse just revealed the 5 teams on his trade list

Darnell Nurse has reportedly handed the Oilers a list of preferred landing spots, but Stan Bowman just made any deal a lot harder.

According to Hockey 24/7, Nurse's preferred destinations are San Jose, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Pittsburgh and Toronto. Five teams, a real starting point.

Then came the catch. The same report says Bowman isn't willing to retain salary, at least as of now.

Those four words at the end do all the heavy lifting. They might also be the reason this trade goes nowhere fast.

Quick caution first. This comes from a smaller account, so treat the list and the stance as reported, not gospel, until bigger voices weigh in.

The list itself reads like a player who wants a fresh start and a say in where he gets it.

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No retained salary makes Nurse's contract a tough sell

Here's the math problem. Nurse carries a $9.25 million cap hit, and this season he posted 24 points with a minus-12 rating over 82 games.

For that money, with no salary retained, the phone barely rings. Teams aren't lining up to pay full freight for that production on the back end.

It's like trying to sell a luxury car at sticker price with the check-engine light on. The buyers exist, but only at a discount you're refusing to offer.

That's why the "as of now" matters so much. Bowman is posturing, holding his ground early, hoping someone bites before he has to eat money.

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But postures crack. If Edmonton genuinely wants Nurse gone to clear room, retaining salary is almost always the price of doing business at that number.

Look at the destinations too. The list mixes win-now clubs with a rebuilding San Jose, which hints at how creative this might get. A team with cap space could take the contract as a favor in exchange for a sweetener.

Here's my read: Bowman blinks eventually, or Nurse stays. There's no clean third option at $9.25 million with zero retention. The market just doesn't work that way.

And Edmonton has bigger fires going, with a coaching search, a goalie shuffle and the Babcock investigation all swirling at once.

Where Nurse lands, and whether Bowman holds firm, is one more plot the Oilers have to resolve before camp. The clock is the only thing moving right now.

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