Failed blockbuster trade opens door to shocking Oilers reunion

The Edmonton Oilers have spent much of the offseason reshuffling their roster, and one collapsed trade may have opened the door to an unexpected reunion.

According to multiple reports, Edmonton had been in discussions to send Darnell Nurse to the Boston Bruins in exchange for physical defenseman Nikita Zadorov. Those talks reportedly took place in late June 2026, during the height of the broader Nurse trade saga. But the deal fell apart when Zadorov exercised his veto, reportedly unwilling to relocate to Edmonton.

With that avenue closed, the Oilers pivoted and shipped Nurse to the San Jose Sharks in exchange for prospect defenseman Shakir Mukhamadullin.

That sequence of events left a hole in Edmonton's lineup, one that reporter David Staples of the Edmonton Journal believes could be filled by a familiar face. In a recent column, Staples floated the idea of bringing back former Oilers winger Evander Kane on a budget-friendly contract.

Staples acknowledged that many fans were not thrilled by the near-miss on Zadorov, with some viewing the Bruins blue liner as a limited two-way player. Staples, however, sees it differently.

"I see Zadorov as the NHL's most dominant intimidator, an apex predator, as Edmonton commentator Jason Strudwick called him in 2024," Staples wrote.

He then pivoted to the broader question of which players could bring that same level of physical menace to the Oilers.

"Who might give Zadorov a run for his money in this category? Washington's Tom Wilson. Florida's Radko Gudas. And maybe still Evander Kane, who is a free agent," Staples wrote. "And, I believe, the Oilers could dearly use that kind of player, so much so that I'm open to them now bringing back Kane to the team."

Kane, of course, has history in Edmonton. The Oilers traded him to the Vancouver Canucks last season, where he finished out the final year of his contract. He is now an unrestricted free agent and is reportedly seeking a short-term deal with a contending club.

But we all know how Kane comes with a lot of controversial off-ice decisions and several fans across the NHL would prefer to see him sit on the sidelines once the season gets underway.

But Staples argues that, the fit, at least on paper, makes some sense. Kane brings a rare combination of scoring ability and physical intimidation that few available players can match. Edmonton's need for that kind of edge became even more apparent after the Zadorov deal evaporated.

Whether the Oilers' front office shares Staples' enthusiasm remains to be seen. Kane's previous stint in Edmonton had its share of off-ice complications, and any potential reunion would likely come with scrutiny from the fanbase.