Darnell Nurse’s 12-year run with the Edmonton Oilers has come to an end. The veteran defenseman, originally selected by Edmonton with the seventh overall pick in the 2013 NHL draft, has been traded to the San Jose Sharks.
The deal, completed Wednesday, sends Nurse to San Jose in return for defensemen Shakir Mukhamadullin and Zack Sharp.
Nurse, 31 and a native of Hamilton, Ontario, leaves Edmonton with an impressive statistical legacy. Over 798 regular-season games between 2014 and 2026, he recorded 88 goals, 236 assists, and a plus-66 rating. He also contributed seven goals and 22 assists across 100 Stanley Cup playoff appearances. Among all-time Oilers, he sits first in career blocked shots with 1,466 and hits with 1,692, second in games played, and fifth in total points with 324.
Nurse carries a hefty $9.25 million salary cap hit tied to an eight-year contract that runs through the 2029-30 season. The Sharks, who have considerably more cap flexibility than Edmonton, were able to absorb that contract as part of the transaction.
Mukhamadullin, 24, was originally a first-round pick of the New Jersey Devils in the 2020 draft. This past season with San Jose, he put up five goals and seven assists in 50 games, bringing his career NHL totals to seven goals and 15 assists over 83 games.
Sharp, 21, has not yet played professional hockey. The Sharks drafted him in the fourth round of the 2025 draft. He spent two seasons at Western Michigan, contributing 10 goals and 18 assists while helping the program capture the 2025 NCAA championship.
Wednesday was a busy day for the Oilers beyond the Nurse trade. Edmonton also signed free agent defenseman Ryan Shea to a five-year contract worth $20 million. Shea, 29, put together a strong season with the Pittsburgh Penguins, tallying 35 points — six goals and 29 assists — over 80 regular-season games.
Additionally, Edmonton acquired goaltender Devon Levi from the Buffalo Sabres, sending a 2028 third-round draft pick and a 2028 seventh-round selection back to Buffalo. Levi, 24, went 2-7-0 last season with a 4.12 goals-against average and a .872 save percentage in nine games, including eight starts.
