There have already been numerous changes made to the Edmonton Oilers under the leadership of general manager Stan Bowman this offseason, perhaps the biggest of which were the hirings of Mike Babcock and D.J. Smith to replace the fired Kris Knoblauch and Mark Stuart.
And while the Oilers have made a series of additions and subtractions to their roster, perhaps the most meaningful was the trade of longtime defenseman Darnell Nurse to the divisional rival San Jose Sharks.
In return for Nurse, the Oilers received defenseman Shakir Mukhamadullin and prospect Zack Sharp.
While Nurse had garnered increased scrutiny for his inconsistency during key times of the season and playoffs, it doesn’t mean that Edmonton’s top player was happy to see him depart.
Edmonton Oilers Captain Connor McDavid Didn’t Like Seeing Darnell Nurse’s Trade To The Sharks
Oilers captain Connor McDavid, who had been teammates with Nurse since he entered the NHL as the first overall pick in 2015, said that it was quite disappointing to see him traded.
“It’s obviously disappointing to lose someone like Darnell and the rest of the guys,” McDavid said. “But it’s part of the business, unfortunately. It’s been hard to really put into words what Nursery’s been to not only me, but the whole group and everybody in Edmonton. So extremely disappointed to see that happen.”
However, McDavid continues to show optimism about the upcoming season thanks to the new additions Edmonton made both on the ice and behind the bench.
“At the same time, really excited about some of the additions,” he said. “New coach, some good players. It’s an exciting time in Edmonton.”
Darnell Nurse’s Contract Was Recently Named One Of The Worst In The NHL
Per a recent ranking from NHL Insider Joe Yerdon of Bleacher Report, Nurse’s contract, which was fully absorbed by the Sharks upon the trade, is one of the 10 worst in the NHL.
“Unlike the previous Sharks contract on this list, the money involved in Darnell Nurse’s deal isn’t San Jose’s doing,” Yerdon wrote. “The Oilers signed Nurse to an eight-year, $74 million extension back in 2021 and set a standard for defensemen that helped raise the bar, contract-wise. He’s been a steady two-way blue liner throughout his career, who suddenly became paid like a top point producer. Playing in Edmonton with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl should’ve naturally led to more points, but that was never the style of game Nurse played.”
Nurse is in the midst of an eight-year, $74 million deal with a salary cap hit of $9.25 million.
The Oilers selected Nurse with the seventh overall pick in the 2013 NHL Draft, and the defenseman would become one of the longest-tenured members of the club before being moved to San Jose.
Through 798 regular-season contests, Nurse has 88 goals and 236 assists.
Nurse also boasts considerable postseason appearance that he’ll bring to San Jose, having already skated in 100 Stanley Cup Playoff games and contributing seven goals and 22 assists. While with the Oilers, Nurse reached the Stanley Cup Final in 2024 and 2025, though they fell short both times against the Florida Panthers.
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