The Philadelphia Flyers have had quite a few players on their wishlist this offseason, whether it be via free agency or trade.
They’ve been able to make some depth additions in net and up front, but the only change on the blue line has been a downgrade from Emil Andrae to Simon Benoit in the Joseph Woll trade.
However, they’ve also seen some of their targets go elsewhere or not include them on their trade list. Zach Werenski is one of the most recent names, although the Flyers could still have an outside shot at landing the defenseman. John Carlson is in that bucket, too, with the veteran looking to move back east, but quite possibly to a team in more of a win-now mode than the Flyers.
That left the Flyers poking around on guys like Darnell Nurse, for whom it was reportedly “Philly or bust” as recently as this week.
Well, when the Flyers couldn’t agree to terms on a deal with the Edmonton Oilers for Nurse, the blueliner softened his stance on Wednesday afternoon.
Flyers miss out on Darnell Nurse
Elliotte Friedman first reported that Nurse agreed to expand his list of teams he’d accept a trade to, noting that San Jose is one to watch.
It didn’t take long for more details to come out about the Sharks’ reported interest, with Friedman outlining a likely deal.
This is how things appear to be unfolding:
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) July 1, 2026
Nurse to SJ
Shakir Mukhamadullin will be part the return
There will be no retention by the Oilers
We await the final picture https://t.co/HlJah24rzn
One of the hangups that the Flyers had in acquiring Nurse was his contract. It was also what had some fans and media members balking at the idea of trading for the overpaid defenseman.
Nurse has four more years on his deal at a $9.25 million AAV. The Flyers reportedly wanted the Oilers to retain at least $2-3 million to make the trade work.
It’s a reasonable ask by Danny Briere, as Nurse is nowhere near worth the $9.25M that the Oilers paid him. Mind you, only 10 other defenseman will make more than Nurse this upcoming season. While he may be a solid top-four defenseman, no one is going to argue that Nurse is among the best blueliners in the league.
While nothing is official just yet, it sure does seem like San Jose is willing to take on Nurse’s full salary, and if the defenseman is actually willing to go there, it feels like only a matter of time.
Flyers ‘still pushing hard’ for John Carlson
The Flyers’ sights are now going back to Carlson, not that they necessarily ever left. Carlson is a perfect fit for the Flyers, as he’s looking for a short-term deal and to play in the Eastern Conference.
Anthony DiMarco reported on Wednesday afternoon that he thinks the Flyers are still “pushing hard” for Carlson, noting that “maybe things change” after posting earlier that Philadelphia isn’t close on Carlson.
FWIW, I still think PHI is pushing hard here.
— Anthony Di Marco (@ADiMarco25) July 1, 2026
Maybe things change. https://t.co/4g688FNS5V
Carlson is probably the top name remaining in what was already quite a shallow pool of free agents.
It’s a bit surprising that Carlson wasn’t one of the first players to sign in free agency, to be honest. The Hurricanes traded for his rights, signalling that they were serious about signing the free agent, but he hit the open market.
Of course, the Lightning are also interested in Carlson after losing Darren Raddysh to Toronto in a sign-and-trade deal.
Things can change on a dime in the NHL, especially on free agency day. We’ll see what happens with Nurse and Carlson before the day is up.
