The Edmonton Oilers are continuing their push to try a retool, as today they have some signing news. Acquired in the recent Darnell Nurse trade, today’s Shakir Mukhamadullin contract has Oiler fans feeling optimistic about the future. Mukhamadullin has signed a two-year deal. The deal is worth $1.75 million average annual value. Let’s discuss.
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Shakir Mukhamadullin signs a two year contract extension with the Edmonton Oilers, worth $1.75 million per season. #WeAreGoldStar pic.twitter.com/iQWkGQ4vEH
— Dan Milstein (@HockeyAgent1) July 4, 2026
The Shakir Mukhamadullin Contract With Edmonton Oilers is Positive Sign
Mukhamadullin was originally drafted by the San Jose Sharks in the first round of the 2020 NHL Entry Draft. The Sharks were patient with his development, which does make sense given his physical attributes. At 6’4″ he needed time to learn how to play in the NHL, utilize his size properly, be a reliable defender, and be able to be a force to play against. The Oilers are hoping that they have timed this transaction perfectly, in that Mukhamadullin is ready to breakout, and combined with that Nurse’s value just isn’t what it once was with him earning $9.25 million a season.
As we bring you the Shakir Mukhamadullin contract signing, in terms of the timing for his career trajectory, there are some indicators that he is on the verge of taking a big step at the NHL level.
By the time Mukhamadullin moved to North America to stay, he had four full-KHL seasons under his belt. Additionally, he played a full season in the AHL upon his arrival. So even to this point, as he doesn’t turn 25 until January, he still only has 83 games of NHL experience. So, he’s fresh as he hasn’t had a lot of hard NHL minutes, but brings plenty of pro hockey experience.
What’s more, is that most of those NHL games came in 2025-26. He played 50 games in this most recent campaign. He had five goals and seven assists. Also, he played 17:09 on average per game, and that included no power play opportunity, and only depth contributions on the penalty kill. Moreover, that experience playing shorthanded will do wonders for him in the future for Edmonton.
Even though his ice time wasn’t any higher than it was, towards the end of the season, he did have plenty of games beyond his season average of ice time. He was clearly playing better toward the end of the season and head coach Ryan Warsofsky rewarded him accordingly.
As for 2026-27, the Oilers have a confident group of defencemen. With a likely second pairing of Jake Walman and Connor Murphy, look for Mukhamadullin to slot in on the third pairing. If that’s the case, he might play with another newer Oiler acquisition in Ryan Shea. But that is a good thing, as the players will know their roles, and not playing up in the lineup. It should allow them to build a strong defensive foundation as a group, as they fight to remain Stanley Cup contenders.
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