The other day General Manager, Mike Grier, traded away the rights to defenseman Shakir Mukhamadullin and Zach Sharp in exchange for Darnell Nurse. Sharks fans are not excited about this trade to begin with, but are even more upset at the loss of 24-year-old Mukhamadullin. Today, he signed a two-year, $3.5 million contract with the Edmonton Oilers.
Mukhamadullin has not had a linear path in the NHL, a defenseman originally drafted by the New Jersey Devils 20th overall in 2020 and traded to the Sharks in a blockbuster trade involving Timo Meier, but has proven his dedication to improvement through hard work. This was echoed by Head Coach, Ryan Warsofsky, after the Olympic break. Warsofsky has said Mukhamadullin has hit some “speed bumps” with injuries, causing some hitches in his development but was optimistic about his future.
Shakir Mukhamadullin’s hard work was clear in his 50 appearances with the Sharks, recording 12 points (5G, 7A). Unafraid to use his 6-foot four inch frame, Mukhamadullin fearlessly threw his body in front of pucks to protect his goaltenders. One play, in particular, comes to mind against the Edmonton Oilers, where he blocked a shot to prevent a goal in a wide open net.
As Sharks fans struggle to wrap their minds around this puzzling trade, the knife was only dug deeper with Shakir Mukhamadullin’s new contract. However, the bar has never been lower for improvement on defense, so the team can only go up from last season.
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