After over a decade, the Darnell Nurse era with the Edmonton Oilers came to a close last week, as he was traded to the divisional rival San Jose Sharks for Shakir Mukhamadullin and the rights to Zachary Sharp.
The Oilers, who had advanced to the Stanley Cup Final with Nurse on the back end in 2024 and 2025, decided to cut ties with him after years of intensified scrutiny with his play.
It was the most recent change made to the Oilers by general manager Stan Bowman, who fired head coach Kris Knoblauch and assistant Mark Stuart, while hiring Mike Babcock and DJ Smith in their stead.
But are the Oilers a better team without Nurse on defense? On noted NHL Insider doesn’t believe so.
NHL Insider Frank Corrado Says Edmonton Oilers Aren’t Necessarily Better Without Darnell Nurse
Does the subtraction of Nurse from the lineup make the Oilers better defensively, despite improving their salary cap structure? Not in the mind of Frank Corrado.
“As of today, right now the Edmonton Oilers are a worse team than when they had Darnell Nurse in the lineup,” Corrado said. “Yeah, you got Darnell Nurse off the books, doesn’t mean you are a better team than you were yesterday.”
Nurse is still the all-time leader in Oilers history with 1,427 blocked shots, and he ranks fifth all time in Oilers defensive scoring with 324 points (88 goals, 236 assists).
He’s also played the second most games of any Oilers defenseman with 798.
Darnell Nurse Is Happy To Join The Sharks
Despite the initial shock from being dealt away from the only NHL home that he’s ever known, Nurse is looking forward to the challenge with the Sharks, a club that is on the rise and could soon be a force in the Western Conference.
“I think one of my best attributes is transporting the puck and skating, using my legs,” Nurse said. “Defensively, same thing, using my legs and closing time and space. I’ve got a pretty big engine too when it comes to being able to play minutes; there’s a lot of excitement. I feel like I can add to the group, as well as the leadership part. My goal is the same goal as all those guys in the room, because I haven’t, (and) a lot of those guys haven’t reached the pinnacle. We’re all fighting for that.”
“It’s exciting for me,” Nurse continued. “It’s a change, a new market, a fresh start in a lot of senses. But it’s also exciting to play in the division I played in my whole career, whether Edmonton is in it or not. It’s a familiar division to me, and I’m really looking forward to playing with San Jose.”
Sharks general manager Mike Grier also expressed his excitement in Nurse joining the club, making special note of his leadership qualities.
“Darnell is a strong, veteran, mobile defenseman who eats up top-pair minutes against some of the best talents in the NHL, and brings a physical element every shift,” Grier said. “He brings significant leadership qualities and experience from his time in Edmonton, which will be a valuable to our group.”
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