An EK65 reunion was almost in the cards.
The San Jose Sharks have had a busy summer. They loaded up prospects from the Draft, namely Ivar Stenberg, Keaton Verhoeff and Ryan Lin. The Sharks then traded for Michael Kesselring. Then, when free agency hit, they signed Mason Marchment and Jacob Trouba.
The most polarizing move of the offseason, though, was the trade for Darnell Nurse. The former Oilers defenseman was traded for Shakir Mukhamadullin and prospect Zach Sharp. Remember, give him a chance, Sharks fans.
What if I told you there was another agreement prior to the Nurse trade?
The Sharks and Pittsburgh Penguins reportedly had a deal in place. That deal would have brought Erik Karlsson back to San Jose. Wrap your head around that for a second.
Karlsson was originally acquired by the Sharks from the Ottawa Senators in 2018. That was the last season the Sharks made the playoffs. Karlsson was the final attempt by the GM Doug Wilson regime to bring the Stanley Cup to San Jose.
It did not pan out. Instead, the core so many people fell in love with was dismantled. Joe Pavelski left for Dallas. Joe Thornton played one more year in teal. Then there was no young talent to replace anyone. The perennial power crumbled. The Sharks became the laughing stock of hockey. And fans pointed the finger at Karlsson.
After his Norris Trophy season, Karlsson was traded to Pittsburgh. In return, the Sharks acquired Pittsburgh’s 2024 first-round pick. That pick turned out to be Sam Dickinson. The Sharks also received Mikael Granlund.
Fair? No, not at all. One move does not create a collapse and rebuild. Wilson made all the moves he could to “win now.” It just did not happen.
So back to the topic at hand: Nurse or Karlsson?
Last season with Edmonton, Nurse had just seven goals and 17 assists. With Nurse, though, you gain physicality. You have a guy who will step up and fight for teammates. That is what GM Mike Grier prioritizes with some of these acquisitions.
Nurse is signed for four more years at $9.25 million per year. There is not much flexibility there, especially with Edmonton retaining no money on that contract at all. How will it look in two, three years?
Karlsson won the Norris Trophy in San Jose in 2022-23. Since then, though, his production has slipped. A lot. From 101 points to 56, then 53. However, last season he had 66 points with 15 goals and 51 assists—a trend in the right direction. However, there is a significant lack of physicality compared to Nurse.
Karlsson is signed for one more year for $11.5 million. This contract would greatly benefit the Sharks—one year with Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith still on their ELC’s. Taking on Karlsson’s contract would have been so much more team-friendly.
Ultimately, the deal between the Sharks and Penguins fell through once Nurse agreed to a trade to San Jose. Sharks fans, I would love to hear your opinions on this.
Would you rather have Nurse’s physicality? Or Karlsson’s offense? Either way, the Sharks’ blue line would have been improved.
