Sharks Choosing Nurse Over Rielly Squashes Silly Trade Narrative

San Jose could have had Morgan Rielly. Instead, they took Darnell Nurse — and by choice.

Speaking on 32 Thoughts, Elliotte Friedman reported it was a choice by the Sharks to go with the defenseman the Edmonton Oilers were trying to move versus the one Toronto was trying to offload. “Look, it’s interesting. They could have had Rielly, they got Nurse. I heard they really preferred Nurse. I heard that was a preference. They had a choice, and they took Nurse over Rielly.”

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So much for the ‘Nurse has no trade value’ arguments.

Rielly’s $7.5 million cap hit runs nearly $2 million cheaper annually than Nurse’s $9.25 million, and Rielly is coming off a season that, while down by his own standards — a career-worst minus rating to go with 36 points — still showed that Rielly can move the puck and quarterback a power play. Many analysts pegged Rielly as the more natural fit for San Jose’s timeline, pairing well with a young core built around Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith. The Sharks needed a puck-mover (still arguably do), yet they chose the more physical, less offensively inclined Nurse.

So why Nurse? Even though Rielly held a full no-move clause, he reportedly submitted a list of just four Western Conference teams he’d consider. San Jose was among them. Nurse, by contrast, had submitted his original list, and the Sharks weren’t on it. It took him revisiting that list and comments from several trusted sources before he changed his mind. Could that ‘hard to get’ position and the timeline of things have impacted the Sharks? Maybe.

Grier’s own comments after the trade leaned into what Nurse specifically brings: a physical, mobile veteran capable of playing heavy top-pair minutes against top competition every night — the kind of stabilizing, experienced presence a team hoping to take a real step forward wants on its blue line. San Jose has since doubled down, signing Jacob Trouba and giving the Sharks two proven, physical defensemen who may choose to punish opponents rather than outskill them.

The Sharks may also believe that Nurse has more to give offensively. He wasn’t used on Edmonton’s power play outside of the season he earned himself a massive contract. Maybe, if given the chance, he could boost his point totals.

It goes to show that there was a team that believed in Nurse. They didn’t think his contract was too high. The Sharks felt he simply needed a change of scenery. “When you play in a Canadian market and a passionate hockey market, it’s difficult,” Grier said in a post-free-agency press conference. “Darnell unfortunately went through that. Sometimes it’s tough to get out of when the media starts getting on you. Then the fans start getting on you. It’s a tough cycle. I think coming here will be a breath of fresh air for him.”

What This Means for Rielly

For Toronto, the fallout is the more pressing story. With San Jose off the board, the pool of realistic suitors for Rielly keeps shrinking. Anaheim may have been another suitor, but they’re wrapped up in the Leon Carlsson drama, which will only lead to more issues with their other pending RFAs. They have no mental capacity to work on a Rielly trade.

The Maple Leafs seem to have decided they’re hanging onto Rielly, at least for now. Whether Toronto ends up retaining salary or simply riding out the contract remains an open question.

Next: Pat Verbeek Has Lost Control of the Ducks: The Carlsson Offer Sheet Fallout