Insider Speculates on Darnell Nurse Trade to San Jose for Young Forward

The San Jose Sharks are going to land a defenseman or two one way or another this offseason. Whether that comes through the draft—potentially with the second-overall pick—in free agency, or via the trade market remains to be seen.

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Most of the buzz around the Sharks’ pursuit of help on the blue line, however, has centered around the latter—a trade—and one big name that has come up more than once is Darnell Nurse.

That possibility continues to swirl, and on Monday insider Jeff Marek once again brought up the idea while wondering whether one of San Jose’s young forwards—particularly Collin Graf—could interest Edmonton in a potential return package.

Marek said:

“The San Jose Sharks are looking for a defenseman, and they have a surplus of young forwards. If you’re the Oilers, is there something there with the San Jose Sharks to take Darnell Nurse for one of their excess forwards, even if it’s someone like Collin Graf? These are the kinds of things, if you’re Stan Bowman, I think you’re probably looking at right now,”

The 31-year-old Nurse is in has four years remaining on the eight-year, $74 million extension he signed with the Oilers back in 2021.

Nurse getting traded out of Edmonton suddenly feels bound to happen this offseason, and San Jose will remain a team to watch until something materializes.

Graf is a very intriguing young forward coming off a strong first full NHL season. He could be a perfect addition for the Oilers, though it’s fair to wonder whether GM Mike Grier would be willing to include him in such a package—especially if taking on Nurse’s full $9.25 million cap hit.

No matter what happens, these two Pacific Division rivals should be watched closely, as there appears to be plenty of potential for a trade between them this summer.

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