I don't understand this Keith hatred at all. I didn't watch the LAK series....so I'm being up front about that, but Nurse SUCKED in both the CGY and COL series. Keith as a 38 year old man was asked to bail you guys out. Was the 38 year old the same guy he was a 30...no, but that's how it works. Don't pay a guy $9.25M when he's going to play like a bottom pair Dman in the playoffs.

Nurse had a torn hip flexor muscle since the final week of the reg season but i agree he isnt worth the 9.25M but his biggest assets are his size + speed but with a torn hip flexor his mobility was gone and his low hockey iq was exposed, Keith had been absolute ass all playoffs long constantly letting forwards just walk into the zone and doing what ever they pleased I guarantee there was more low lights of keith getting walked in his own zone then there is highlights of him making a good pass, His passing was so stupid and CONSTANTLY making dumb suicide passes to bouch or the forward whenever he heard another player skating towards him hopping he wont get hit and it always led to a goal, Keith has cost us about 15 goals this playoffs and only really helped on like 5 the rest was riding McDavid and Draisaitl plays.
Kulak should 100% take his place and move up to 2LD next year and Broberg should make the leap next year, Both are big, super smooth skating D men who can actually defend the rush and make a play instead of throwing away the puck because keith was too old and slow to battle or make a decent pass

Keith has stated on record that he wants to play til hes 45. Now hes on a good team, close to home, no way he retires in the middle of a contract

Wait so if Mike Smith retires we still have his cap hit?

yup, his contract is 35+ so if he retires his money still counts towards the cap

Oof I didn't even think about that thank you.

He won’t retire, hurts the team. If he wants to retire he will go along with whatever injury the Oilers want to say he has and LTIR him for a year.

The interest in someone with Bourgault's upside is so he can play with Laine. As it is, we already have Kent Johnson lined up in that role and will probably pick up another candidate in this coming draft.