Edmonton Oilers
Could Recent Oilers Signing Be the Sneaky Win of the Darnell Nurse Trade?
What makes the Shakir Mukhamadullin trade potentially a “sneaky win” is that the Oilers were pegged to drop the ball on this trade.
The Darnell Nurse trade got plenty of attention for what it did to Edmonton’s cap situation— clearing a hefty contract off the books without attaching retention. But the return piece, defenseman Shakir Mukhamadullin, deserves a closer look on his own merits. There’s a real case he could end up being the sneaky win of the entire deal.
In Edmonton, not much is likely known about Mukhamadullin (including how to pronounce his name). But the recently signed d-man could be serving a regular role for the Oilers next season. At 6-foot-4 with a genuinely heavy shot and real mobility for his size, the physical tools that made him a first-round pick haven’t gone anywhere.
Mukhamadullin was taken by New Jersey 20th overall in 2020, and San Jose valued him enough to include him as a centerpiece of the return in the 2023 Timo Meier blockbuster. Yes, time has passed, and 2020 is in the past. That he hasn’t become more of a known commodity might be enough for some to write him off. Then again, defensemen take longer in the NHL to develop than other positions.
It should be noted that San Jose spent Mukhamadullin’s entire NHL tenure in a full rebuild. It’s only now that the team is starting to turn a corner and looks like it’s on the verge of becoming a contender. It’s understandable why he bounced in and out of the lineup, including stretches as a healthy scratch, and posted modest but not nothing numbers last season: five goals, 12 points, and 60 blocked shots in 46 games.
At the same time, five goals and 12 points from a defenseman are nothing. It’s more than Ty Emberson, Brett Kulak, Spencer Stastney, and Troy Stecher (at least for goals).
So too is Edmonton a completely different environment. It’s a team built to win now, with an established structure, a deep enough defense corps to not need to rush him into a top role, and — critically — a Nurse-sized vacancy on the right side that actually needs filling. Sometimes a change of scenery does exactly what it’s supposed to do for a talented but inconsistent young player. Sometimes it doesn’t. But the conditions here are genuinely more favorable than what he had in San Jose.
Low Cost, Real Upside
What makes this a potentially “sneaky win” is that the Oilers were pegged to drop the ball on this trade. He came back as part of a deal that was really about offloading Nurse’s contract. If Mukhamadullin simply becomes a serviceable bottom-four defenseman, the trade already looks fine for Edmonton. If the tools translate in a better environment and he starts producing closer to his draft pedigree, the Oilers walk away with a legitimate long-term piece acquired at essentially no cost.
It’s too early to call this a win — Mukhamadullin still has to prove it on the ice, and “change of scenery” stories don’t always pan out. But the risk-reward profile here is exactly the kind that ages well. Edmonton solved a cap problem with the Nurse trade. If Mukhamadullin finds his game in Edmonton, they may have solved a roster problem too, almost by accident.
Next: What Should Fans Watch for in the 2026-27 NHL Season?
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