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Sharks GM Grier sees Nurse having Marner-like rebound with fresh start
Photo credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
Jul 4, 2026, 16:00 EDTUpdated: Jul 4, 2026, 12:39 EDT
San Jose Sharks general manager Mike Grier knows what it’s like to play in a passionate hockey market like Edmonton.
After all, he began his NHL career as an Oiler back in 1996 and played six seasons in the copper and blue.
He can resonate with Nurse in a way that most GMs can’t.
“When you play in a Canadian market and a passionate hockey market, it’s difficult,” Grier said in a post-free-agency press conference. “I loved my time in Edmonton, but I saw the good and the bad of the media coverage and the fan pressure.
“Darnell unfortunately went through that. Sometimes it’s tough to get out of when the media starts getting on you. Then the fans start getting on you. It’s a tough cycle. I think coming here will be a breath of fresh air for him.”
Grier referenced another big-name player who left the pressure cooker of a Canadian market for another team: Mitch Marner.
After spending nine years in Toronto after being drafted fourth overall in the 2015 draft by the Maple Leafs, Marner landed in Las Vegas. He stepped back in terms of his role, scoring 24 goals and 80 points in 81 games, adding 10 goals and a playoff-leading 29 points in 22 playoff games that had him in the Conn Smythe Trophy conversation.
“I think you saw a little bit with that with Mitch Marner getting out of Toronto, just to be able to breathe, play hockey,” said Grier. “Sometimes you kind of feel like the weight of the world’s on your shoulder to perform, and if you lose, it’s your fault. If you win, no one really says anything.
“That’s just the life of a player in a big, big Canadian market. And if you’re a marquee player there, there’s always added extra pressure to it.”
Nurse’s leadership
Grier waxed poetic about Nurse and what he can provide for his young Sharks team.
“Talk to everyone in Edmonton: Darnell’s leadership and character are through the roof, so I think he’ll really help our group,” said Grier.
The Sharks spent a lot of additional money to acquire NHL veterans signing Jacob Trouba and Mason Marchment. Improving by 33 points from the year before, San Jose unexpectedly flirted with a playoff spot in 2025-26, missing the wild card by four points.
Although this chapter closes with Nurse in Edmonton, because he’s joined a Pacific Division rival, the story is not over. Now combatants, there will be battles between Nurse and his former teammates on the ice and in the standings.
“We think his coming here, getting kind of out of that environment, will only help his game.”
Michael Menzies is an Oilersnation columnist and co-host of PreGaming and Oilersnation After Dark. He’s also been the play-by-play voice of the Bonnyville Pontiacs in the AJHL since 2019. With seven years of news experience as the Editor-at-Large of Lakeland Connect in Bonnyville, Menzies collects vinyl, books, and stomach issues. Follow him on X at Menzies_4.
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