Matt Johnson
One of the biggest questions in the NHL this offseason is what the San Jose Sharks will do with the second overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft. However, with the club looking to make real improvements to the roster this summer, San Jose is also getting caught up in some trade speculation.
The Athletic‘s Shayna Goldman highlighted the Sharks as a potential landing spot for Edmonton Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse following his trade request this month.
“The Sharks could help Nurse replenish his value as they did with Ceci, and then flip him at the deadline to a contender looking for cheap help on defense. The difference here would be that Nurse wouldn’t be a rental like Ceci was for Dallas. But it’s pretty much the only way to really get his salary down with the new retention rules. While there’s no traditional third-party brokering, the Sharks, at least, have experience being a middleman if need be.”
The Athletic’s Shayna Goldman on a potential Darnell Nurse trade for the San Jose Sharks
Related: Expert Predicts New Sharks’ Pick in 2026 NHL Mock Draft
- Darnell Nurse contract (PuckPedia): $9.25 million cap hit (2026-27), $9.25M cap hit annually through 2029-30 season
The Sharks, per PuckPedia, have the most projected cap space in the NHL this offseason at over $41 million. In that regard, it certainly makes them a viable option to take on the $9.25 million AAV on Nurse’s contract. Furthermore, as Goldman highlighted, general manager Mike Grier has a history of taking on bad contracts and then flipping the player later when they rebuild some value.
Nurse, age 31, would provide San Jose with another left-handed defenseman in the short-term. If he plays well, returning to the form where he averaged 36.1 points per season from 2019-25, it could be a nice buy-low opportunity for the Sharks front office.
Another option, as highlighted by Goldman, would be to view Nurse as a multi-year addition. While his contract won’t age well as he approaches his mid-30s, he would at least improve the team’s depth.
“The other option is just adding Nurse and keeping him for the season (or beyond), and figuring out the next steps when the time comes.”
Related: Growing Buzz on Who Sharks Will Draft at No. 2
- Darnell Nurse stats (2025-26): 7 goals, 17 assists, 20:58 average time on pace per game, 166 blocks, 137 hits, 19 takeaways in 82 games
What seems far likelier to happen is San Jose pursuing one of the better NHL trade candidates this offseason who better aligns with the club’s long-term vision or is simply a better player.
The Sharks have also been linked to Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Morgan Rielly ($7.5 million cap hit) and New Jersey Devils defenseman Simon Nemec ($918K cap hit), defensemen who will cost more to acquire but also provide the team with more talent and upside along with greater cap flexibility to keep building the roster.
Related: Scouts, Execs Predict Who Sharks Will Draft with No. 2 Pick
Given the draft assets and cap space Grier has to work with, it’s reasonable to think the club adds a high-end defenseman this summer. With the 2026 NHL Draft just a few weeks away, we should soon get more clarity on just how aggressive the Sharks will be in upgrading the blue line this offseason.
