Oilers send veteran defenceman Nurse to Sharks
The Edmonton Oilers have traded defenceman Darnell Nurse to the San Jose Sharks. In return, the Oilers acquired defencemen Shakir Mukhamadullin and Zack Sharp. Reports indicate that the Oilers did not retain any of Nurse’s salary in the deal.
Mike Grier, the Sharks’ General Manager, stated that Nurse is a strong, veteran, and mobile defenceman who plays top-pair minutes against skilled opponents and brings a physical presence to every shift. Grier also highlighted Nurse’s significant leadership qualities and experience from his time in Edmonton, noting these attributes will be valuable to the Sharks organization.
Nurse’s career with the Oilers
Nurse, who is 31, registered 24 points, including seven goals and 17 assists, in 82 games last season for the Oilers. He led the team in blocked shots and hits, and was fourth in average time on ice. Among the team’s defencemen, he ranked third in points. He also ranked ninth among NHL defencemen in blocked shots.
Nurse has recorded at least 100 or more hits and blocked shots in nine consecutive seasons and has logged an average of 20 or more minutes per game for nine consecutive years. He achieved his 50th multi-point game on October 23 against the Montreal Canadiens with two assists, and his fifth multi-goal game with two goals on November 19 at the Washington Capitals.
Since his full-time entry into the league in the 2015-16 season, Nurse has accumulated 1,467 blocked shots, ranking seventh among active defencemen in this category, averaging nearly five blocked shots per game. He has collected at least 20 or more points in seven consecutive seasons and maintained a plus-81 rating. His career-best in points was set in the 2022-23 season, with 43 points and 31 assists.
Drafted seventh overall by the Oilers in the 2013 draft, Nurse has spent his entire 12-year NHL career with the team. He has amassed 88 goals and 324 points in 798 career regular-season games, with a plus-66 rating. In the postseason, he has appeared in 100 games, scoring 29 points, including seven goals and 22 assists. He helped Edmonton reach the postseason for seven consecutive years, including two trips to the Stanley Cup Final in 2024 and 2025.
Nurse was named an Alternate Captain for the Oilers ahead of the 2019-20 season. Prior to his NHL career, he played for the Soo Greyhounds in the Ontario Hockey League, captaining the team for two seasons. He registered 134 points, with 36 goals and 98 assists, in 221 games for the team.
International and contractual details
Internationally, Nurse has represented Team Canada on multiple occasions. He was part of the 2026 Canadian Olympic squad, appearing in 10 games and recording six assists, contributing to a Silver Medal finish. He has also participated in the World Championships twice, in 2018 and 2019, scoring five points, including two goals and three assists, across 20 total games, and helped the team win a Silver Medal in 2019. He was also on the Gold Medal World Junior Championship team in 2015 and was part of the U-18 World Junior Championship team in 2012, earning a Bronze medal.
The 6-foot-4, left-shot defenceman is entering the fifth season of an eight-year, $74 million contract, which carries an annual cap hit of $9.25 million. He is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the 2029-30 campaign. Nurse had to waive a no-trade clause to complete the trade, which follows multiple reports indicating he requested a move out of Edmonton in June.
Mukhamadullin, 24, appeared in 83 games with the Sharks between 2023 and 2026, posting 12 points, including five goals and seven assists. He was selected in the first round of the 2020 draft by the New Jersey Devils before being traded to San Jose. Sharp, 21, was a fifth-round pick of the Sharks last year and had five goals and 14 assists in 37 games for Western Michigan University last year.
Sharp was selected by San Jose in the 2025 NHL Draft in the fourth round, 124th overall.
Source: tsn.ca
