- David Pagnotta reports the Bruins and Oilers had a Darnell Nurse trade in place before San Jose ever entered the picture
- A player headed the other way to Edmonton reportedly used his no-trade clause to kill it, with Nikita Zadorov the rumored name
- Read below for how the Sharks ended up landing Nurse instead
Darnell Nurse almost ended up in Boston.
David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reports the Bruins and Oilers had a trade in place to send Nurse to Boston before he ever got to San Jose. The deal collapsed when a player headed the other way to Edmonton used his no-trade clause to block it.
The name attached to that veto is Nikita Zadorov, though Pagnotta stopped short of saying it himself. Nurse was reportedly fine with a move to Boston. The holdup came from the Edmonton side of the return.
Boston has spent a long time hunting for a big, physical defenseman who can log heavy minutes next to Charlie McAvoy. Nurse checks those boxes at 31, and the Bruins were willing to give up a roster piece to get him.
One caveat before anyone runs too far with this. It’s a single report, and the heavy hitters like Elliotte Friedman, Pierre LeBrun and Chris Johnston haven’t backed it up. Treat the Zadorov part as a rumor until someone else puts a name to it.
Where Nurse landed is not in dispute. Friedman laid out the framework as it came together:
Edmonton shipped Nurse to San Jose for Shakir Mukhamadullin and the rights to Zachary Sharp, with the Sharks swallowing the entire contract. That’s four years left on his eight-year, $74 million deal at a $9.25 million cap hit.
Zadorov, if it really was him, signed a six-year, $30 million contract with Boston in 2024 and carries modified no-trade protection through 2028. He’s the type of rugged, minute-eating defenseman who could have made an Edmonton return work, which is part of why the name stuck.
Nurse is a Shark now. Zadorov is still a Bruin. And if Pagnotta has this right, Edmonton’s first choice never had a chance.
