The Edmonton Oilers made one of the biggest moves of the 2026 NHL offseason when they traded longtime defenseman Darnell Nurse to the San Jose Sharks on July 1. The deal ended Nurse’s 12-year tenure in Edmonton while creating valuable salary cap space for the Oilers.
Now, Oilers captain Connor McDavid has shared his thoughts on the departure of one of his closest teammates.
Connor McDavid Breaks Silence on Darnell Nurse Trade
Nurse requested a trade after both he and the organization agreed that a fresh start was the best path forward.
The move came after a difficult 2025-26 campaign in which the veteran defenseman finished with a minus-12 rating, his lowest since the 2015-16 season, and recorded a career-high 88 giveaways.
Edmonton ultimately sent Nurse to the San Jose Sharks in exchange for defensive prospects Shakir Mukhamadullin and Zack Sharp.
Asked about the trade, McDavid admitted it was difficult to see one of the team’s longest-serving leaders leave. “Obviously disappointing to lose someone like Darnell and the rest of the guys [that left the Oilers this summer]. It’s part of the business, unfortunately,” McDavid said.
“Nurse’s been hard to really put into words what Nurse’s been to not only me, but the whole group and everybody in Edmonton.
“So, extremely disappointed to see that happen, but at the same time, really excited about some of the additions. New coach, some good players. It’s an exciting time in Edmonton,” he added.
Nurse leaves behind an impressive legacy in Edmonton. Since making his NHL debut in 2014-15, he has spent his entire career alongside McDavid and was one of the leaders in the Oilers’ dressing room, serving as an alternate captain since the 2019-20 season.
While his departure is an emotional one, it gave general manager Stan Bowman significant financial flexibility by moving Nurse’s $9.25 million cap hit.
Although McDavid admitted losing Nurse hurts, he is optimistic about the direction of the team.
The Oilers have reshaped their roster this summer by adding veteran goaltender Frederik Andersen, acquiring Devon Levi from the Buffalo Sabres and signing defenseman Ryan Shea to strengthen the blue line. Edmonton also added forward Mathieu Joseph and signed Eduards Tralmaks to improve its depth.
With Mike Babcock taking over behind the bench and several new faces joining the roster, McDavid believes the Oilers remain in a strong position heading into next season.
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While saying goodbye to a longtime teammate won’t be easy, the captain made it clear that the focus has already shifted toward helping Edmonton compete for the Stanley Cup.
