Aggressive Sharks make moves to show they’re all in on becoming a contender

Darnell Nurse knew it was time to go, that his decade-plus-long tenure with the Edmonton Oilers was about to be over, while also having a final say in his next destination.

Initially, the 31-year-old defenseman gave them a very short list of NHL teams to which he would accept a trade. Then Nurse recalled what it was like facing the Sharks last season, playing alongside generational talent Macklin Celebrini with Canada at the world championships and watching as San Jose general manager Mike Grier made aggressive moves to improve his team.

On Wednesday, Nurse joined the Sharks as the latest piece of a puzzle they hope will get them into the playoffs after a lengthy absence. Acquiring Nurse, signing fellow D-man Jacob Trouba and forward Mason Marchment - and drafting more blue-chip prospects to an already talented young core - made it easy to envision San Jose becoming a perennial contender in the not-too-distant future.

"You're looking at the full picture of the league and the full picture of the players," Nurse said on a video call with reporters. "Last year, you see the evolution of the game management and doing the right things at the right time. As a player, being in the league for almost 12 years now, you see teams continue to evolve and you see teams and they grow get better and better at the little nuances of the game."

San Jose barely missed the playoffs behind Celebrini's 115-point season, yet all the signs are there of an organization ready to break through. Over the past couple of weeks, Grier dealt winger William Eklund to Ottawa for the No. 9 pick, was involved in discussions with Buffalo for Bowen Byram and entertained offers for the No. 2 pick before taking Swedish forward Ivar Stenberg.

Knowing the next step is help on the blue line, he signed Trouba to a four-year, $33 million contract. Marchment got $33.75 million over five years to provide size, toughness and experience up front.

"As much offense as you want to have today in the NHL, you got to be able to keep pucks out the net to win games," Trouba said. "The best teams and the teams that win across the league are good defensively."

Enter Nurse, who can defend as well as produce offense with his play-making skills. He was part of the Oilers' back-to-back Cup final runs in 2024 and '25 and still has four years left on his contract.

"Darnell is a strong, veteran, mobile defenseman who eats up top-pair minutes against some of the best talents in the NHL and brings a physical element every shift," Grier said. "He brings significant leadership qualities and experience from his time in Edmonton, which will be a valuable to our group."

Nurse, Trouba and Marchment all know they'll be counted on to bring those qualities, which are usually ingredients in a team getting over the hump. They also share a level of joy getting to try to play winning hockey in a market that has been starved of it for several years.

"Adding veteran pieces that can help lead those guys, it's exciting," Marchment said. "When the team's good, the 'Shark Tank' is buzzing, so it's going to be fun."