The Edmonton Oilers’ partnership with Darnell Nurse has come to an end. On July 1st, the first day of NHL Free Agency, the Oilers sent Darnell Nurse to the San Jose Sharks for Shakir Mukhamadullin and prospect Zack Sharp.
The Oilers did not retain any of Nurse’s $9.25 million salary, which was the goal from the start, when Nurse asked for a trade and submitted a list of three teams: the Philadelphia Flyers, Boston Bruins, and Pittsburgh Penguins. That list got expanded to the San Jose Sharks, who kept calling about his services.
Dave Pagnotta of The Fourth Period joined Sirius XM NHL Network Radio on Wednesday, July 1st with Steve Kouleas and Dennis Bernstein, and was asked how the Edmonton Oilers were able to move the entirety of Darnell Nurse’s contract.
NHLRumors.com Transcriptions
Steve Kouleas: “Did you believe Nurse’s contract could be moved in its entirety? What did you make of the Oilers and Nurse, Shakir Mukhamadullin and backfilling with Ryan Shea, who had an outstanding year last season with the Pittsburgh Penguins?”
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Dave Pagnotta: “It sounded Kooli, it sounded at the draft, and DB, you were there with me as we were running around trying to get back to you, Kooli. It sounded like there was movement from Anaheim and San Jose, that they were willing to take on Nurse’s full cap hit, and that the Pittsburghs, the Bostons, and the Philadelphias wanted to do so with retention.
Then they had deals in place that just weren’t obviously aren’t there from Edmonton’s perspective. They wanted to free up as much as they could; they utilized that money today (Wednesday), but that was the objective. And when push came to shove, Nurse ultimately decided, ‘Okay, look, this is going to be my best option. I’m going to have to wave here and expand my list.’
They found the right deal with the Sharks and pulled it off. Going back to him, if he wasn’t willing to do that, then there was a possibility that either one of the other teams are gonna have to modify their requirements in the trade, or that, if this gets prolonged, he would have to start the season.
I think there was an understanding from both sides, from both the Oilers’ and Nurse’s sides, that the marriage was over. And let’s get you a new home and free up that whole pop.”
Following the trade, Darnell Nurse admitted it was time for a fresh start in San Jose. As mentioned, the Oilers signed Ryan Shea to a five-year, $20 million deal with a $4 million AAV once they shed Nurse’s salary.
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It was time for Darnell Nurse and the Edmonton Oilers to go their separate. As Florida Panthers GM Bill Zito said of Sergei Bobrovsky moving on, “Things happen where decisions get made, and people move on, and it’s a part of our game.”
That’s exactly what happened in this situation. It was time for new beginnings for both the Edmonton Oilers and Darnell Nurse.
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