Nick Kypreos entertains idea of Oilers trading $74M D-man, remains apprehensive about Evan Bouchard's Stanley Cup-winning capability 

NHL analyst Nick Kypreos recently discussed the idea of the Edmonton Oilers trading away defenseman Darnell Nurse while expressing doubts about young blueliner Evan Bouchard's ability to lead the team to a Stanley Cup championship.

Speaking on Sportsnet 590 radio on Wednesday, Kypreos entertained the notion of the Oilers moving Nurse, who is signed to an eight-year, $74,000,000 contract, their top-paid defenseman.

This comes on the heels of Edmonton's disappointing loss in the Stanley Cup Final to the Florida Panthers in six games:

"The other one that’s concerning here is a lot of talk about Evan Bouchard commanding as much as $10 or $11 million, and I like Bouchard, but I just don’t know if I can win a Stanley Cup with him. I’ll be honest."

While acknowledging Bouchard's talent, Kypreos questioned whether he can be the number one defenseman on a championship-caliber team:

“It is absolutely paramount that you have to change it up somewhat. And I like your thought of getting Nurse’s $9 million out, but you’re gonna have to find a stud shut-down guy that can complement Bouchard every once in a while."

Kypreos also noted that if the Oilers decide to move on from Nurse, they'll need to bring in a well-rounded defenseman.

Bouchard put up 16 assists and 23 points over 22 playoff games this spring after a regular season that saw him register 67 points in 82 games.

Meanwhile, Nurse put up eight points over 22 postseason contests. In the regular season, he registered 33 points in 76 games.

NHL investigation into Oilers Evander Kane's LTIR

The NHL is looking into whether the Edmonton Oilers properly used long-term injured reserve (LTIR) with forward Evander Kane this season. Kane missed the entire regular season due to injury but returned for the playoffs, raising questions about his LTIR status.

According to NHL insider Frank Seravalli:

"So far, sources said the Oilers have complied with all the NHL’s requests for information and medical opinions, as is typical with any LTIR return scenario for the playoffs, which are scrutinized by the league.”

The investigation focuses on Kane's season-long LTIR stay for multiple injuries. After major surgery in September and a second knee procedure in January, his recovery took longer than expected. Kane only returned to skating in late February and was not cleared to play until the first round of the playoffs.