Tell Me Where This Mock Trade Hurt You: Oilers Ship McDavid, Nurse, Henrique to Detroit for Spare Parts and Draft Picks
By Sports Desk | July 12, 2025
Edmonton — The hockey world is reeling, or perhaps laughing through tears, as a speculative mock trade set NHL forums ablaze today: the Edmonton Oilers — yes, those Oilers — supposedly trading away Connor McDavid, Darnell Nurse, and Adam Henrique to the Detroit Red Wings for what fans are calling “a bag of pucks and a hope-filled prayer.”
While fictional, this mock trade struck a raw nerve with Oilers fans, sparking a wave of reactions ranging from existential dread to total disbelief. The fake scenario, posted on a Reddit forum and quickly amplified by hockey Twitter, suggested that the Oilers had moved their generational captain, a top-four defenseman, and a veteran two-way center in exchange for cap relief, a mid-level prospect, and an assortment of 2026 and 2027 draft picks — none of which were in the top 10.
The Core of the Mock Deal:
To Detroit Red Wings:
Connor McDavid (C)
Darnell Nurse (D)
Adam Henrique (C, pending UFA)
To Edmonton Oilers:
Jonatan Berggren (F)
Simon Edvinsson (D)
2026 1st-round pick (top-12 protected)
2027 2nd-round pick
Gustav Lindström (D, depth)
Future considerations
Cue the outrage.
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The Sacred Bond: McDavid and Oil Country
Connor McDavid isn’t just a player in Edmonton — he’s a civic icon, a one-man economic stimulus package, and the only reason half of Western Canada hasn’t completely tuned out of hockey during the Oilers’ darkest seasons. Trading him for anything that doesn’t include multiple proven NHL stars is considered not just foolish, but blasphemous.
“This feels like someone Photoshopped Gretzky in a Red Wings jersey and dared to say it’s real,” one fan posted. Another was more direct: “Tell me where this mock trade hurt you? Right here. My soul. It hurt my soul.”
For over a decade, Oilers fans have endured roster imbalances, questionable defense, and goaltending roulette, all under the assumption that McDavid — the league’s most dominant offensive force — would be the one to lead them out of mediocrity. The idea that he would be shipped out with so little in return — not even Detroit’s top prospect, Marco Kasper, or unprotected picks — felt like salt in a still-bleeding playoff wound.
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Darnell Nurse: Lightning Rod or Loyal Soldier?
Darnell Nurse is one of the most polarizing figures in Edmonton sports. While some fans point to his massive contract ($9.25 million AAV) as an anchor on the team’s flexibility, others recognize the intangibles: leadership, durability, and the kind of physical presence that often goes unnoticed on the stat sheet.
In this mock deal, Nurse is seemingly added to make the cap math work — a lazy trope that undervalues his two-way role and the chemistry he’s developed on Edmonton’s blue line.
“Even if you think Nurse is overpaid, he’s still your overpaid guy,” one analyst noted. “You don’t throw him in as a sweetener unless the return justifies the cost. And this doesn’t come close.”
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Henrique: Rental with a Purpose
Though a relatively recent addition at the 2024–25 deadline, Adam Henrique had quietly become an important stabilizing presence in the Oilers’ middle six. His playoff experience, faceoff prowess, and versatility made him more than just a rental — he was part of the win-now formula.
So why would the Oilers package all three of these key players for a return that doesn’t even include Detroit’s top-tier prospects or a guaranteed lottery pick?
That’s where the mock trade fails its realism test.
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Detroit’s Perspective: Larceny in Plain Sight
From the Red Wings’ side, this deal would be nothing short of a grand heist.
You get the best player on the planet still in his prime, a capable top-pair defenseman, and a playoff-proven center for a handful of future assets and depth players. Steve Yzerman, Detroit’s GM and already widely respected for his rebuild, would instantly become GM of the Millennium.
Detroit’s top-six would feature McDavid centering Lucas Raymond and Alex DeBrincat, with Moritz Seider and Nurse anchoring the blue line. Not even EA Sports NHL allows for this level of franchise mode robbery without throwing up a warning.
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Fan Fallout: Satire or Premonition?
What began as a joke post has since morphed into a wider reflection of Oilers fandom anxiety. After another year without a Cup — despite stellar seasons from McDavid and Draisaitl — speculation about the team’s future has grown louder. With Leon Draisaitl’s contract expiring soon and McDavid only under contract through 2026, fans fear a future where both players leave, either in trades or free agency.
The mock trade post, in a twisted way, may have tapped into that anxiety. While completely fictional, it posed a nightmare scenario: losing the face of the franchise for pieces that might — or might not — matter in five years.
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Conclusion: The Trade That Never Was (And Never Should Be)
Thankfully, the “McDavid to Detroit” blockbuster is pure fiction — but it served as a vivid reminder of just how precarious Edmonton’s current window is. One or two wrong moves, one contract standoff, or one front-office shakeup could lead to something that, while hopefully not this outrageous, starts to resemble it.
Until then, Oilers fans can breathe easy — and maybe change their passwords if their favorite hockey sites ever suggest a trade like this again.