There have been multiple changes to the Edmonton Oilers in the last several weeks, the most notable of which was the termination of head coach Kris Knoblauch and assistant Mark Stuart, and subsequent hirings of Mike Babcock and D.J. Smith to take their places.
Not only that, but the Oilers have brought in the likes of goaltender Frederik Andersen, a UFA from the Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes, along with fellow goaltender Devon Levi from the Buffalo Sabres.
Additionally, the Darnell Nurse era officially came to a close, as he was traded by GM Stan Bowman to the San Jose Sharks; in return, they received defensemen Shakir Mukhamadullin and Zack Sharp.
And now, Bowman is making sure that Mukhamadullin will stick around for the immediate future with a new contract extension.
The Edmonton Oilers Have Re-Signed Newly Acquired Defenseman Shakir Mukhamadullin To An Extension
Acquired from the Sharks as part of the Nurse deal, the Oilers are making sure that Shakir Mukhamadullin will be sticking around for the foreseeable future.
Oilers GM Stan Bowman has signed him to a contract extension for the next two seasons with a $1.75 million salary cap hit, according to Dan Milstein, his agent.
The 24-year-old produced five goals and 12 points across 50 games last season with the Sharks, while averaging 17:09 of ice time per contest.
He was selected 20th overall by the New Jersey Devils in the 2020 NHL Draft before being traded to the Sharks in February 2023 as part of the deal that also involved Timo Meier. Mukhamadullin made his NHL debut in January 2023.
He has recorded seven goals and 22 points over 83 career NHL games, all coming with San Jose.
For Oilers fans who aren’t familiar with his game, his scouting report via Elite Prospects reads as follows:
“There will always be a market for 6-foot-4 defensemen who can skate well, and Mukhamadullin certainly qualifies. The pGPS (prospect Graduation Probabilities System) system that Jeremy Davis developed tags with an 84 percent chance of making the show; it’s the seventh-highest figure in this class. Mukhamadullin has a cannon for a one-timer, and he’s not shy about using it.”
The Oilers Traded Darnell Nurse To The Sharks
Nurse, who was traded to the Sharks, said that he’ll look back fondly upon his time with the Oilers, which included consecutive berths in the Stanley Cup Final.
“I had lots of good memories in Edmonton, but now that chapter closes. It was time for a change. It was just time. I had some deep roots, some great moments, a lot of great memories and friends. Some good experiences with the organization but everything has a shelf life and expiry date on it. This was my expiry date on my time in Edmonton,” Nurse said (via Edmonton Journal).
“I remember a lot of days when we were out of the playoffs by February and working to make ourselves a competent team and a playoff team. We worked our way into that team.Off the ice, I’ve had three boys, all of them born in Edmonton. I grew my family there. There are a lot of great memories in the sense of watching my family grow, watching the guys on the team grow, watching the city grow as a hockey market when the playoffs came back. A lot of great memories.”
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