There's just no logical reason to value him at a little over $4M on a bridge.
No, but these things are not always logical.
I do think that team hierarchical pay structure enters the picture to some degree even given RFA/UFA situation etc.
Also, I'm old fashioned. Like some agents, I would take more of a look at how a player was actually used and relied on by a team. So that Nurse last season played more minutes than ANY other Oilers D. He had the most pts of any Oilers D, the most EV pts of any Oilers D, the best +/- of any Oilers D and fared well out on the ice in GA EV or pk. He also looked good, is tough to play against, stand up guy, backs people off, has his team mates back. Nurse brings as many intangibles as Larsson that way (with physicality) and with his strength its possible he will pass Larsson in that regard at some point. So Nurse brings the intangibles. Dustin mentions intimidation. I wouldn't use that word, I would use trepidation. There are times forecheckers bail when they see Nurse ready to take them on.
Nurse also played considerably more minutes than EITHER Montour or Morrissey and so that from the Nurse camp it could be a matter also of not only what Nurse's value is relationally but what it is within the actual Oilers roster. These are different things.
The Oilers to some degree shot themselves in a foot by Nurse over reliance last season considering they were obviously headed into a potential contract impasse. So that the Nurse camp may be legitimately wondering about 4 D on this club getting considerably bigger $ when Nurse was very clearly the Oilers best D and option last season (all games considered and due to others missing appreciable games)
Its unfortunate to the Oilers this is how this all rolled out with injuries to Sekera and Larsson also missing games but to ride Nurse all season and then say "hey, we don't value in that range of our other D" may not be sitting all that well.
just throwing things out there.