New Oilers defenceman Mukhamadullin opens up about getting traded to Edmonton
The Edmonton Oilers blue line will have some added Russian flair to it this season.
Shakir Mukhamadullin, acquired from the San Jose Sharks in the Darnell Nurse trade earlier this summer, will arrive in Edmonton with his sights set on cracking the NHL roster.
The Oilers will be the 24-year-old’s third NHL organization, having been drafted by the New Jersey Devils in 2020 before being flipped to the San Jose Sharks in 2023 in the Timo Meier trade.
Going from San Jose to Edmonton is quite an adjustment, and Mukhamadullin opened up about the trade for the first time with Russian outlet Sports Express last week.
“A [trade] could happen any day, any moment. So, I was basically prepared for it. A couple of days before, I was told it was a possibility. So, I wasn’t expecting [a trade], but I was prepared for it,” Mukhamadullin said in a translated transcript. “Honestly, I don’t like changing teams at all. I’ve played in the same place my whole life in Ufa, so it’s unusual for me. But that’s how it is now. And, I repeat, [I’m] happy to go to Edmonton.
“The team is strong, currently fighting for the cup. And, again, I’m really enjoying this challenge.”
The former first-round pick opened up about feeling like San Jose had become a second home to him, alongside his native Russia, and that he had started to finally get fully comfortable in the city before being traded.
Mukhamadullin will now have to start from scratch in Edmonton, where he is actually anticipating the cold winters. He mentioned that the weather in the Alberta capital is similar to his hometown.
“When I was in San Jose, I always longed for winter. Now, maybe I’ll understand how nice it was there,” Mukhamadullin admitted. “The weather in Edmonton is about the same as in Ufa, so everything’s fine.”
Outside of weather, the young defender will also be entering a much different situation in Edmonton than in San Jose. The Sharks are an up-and-coming team in a non-traditional market while the Oilers are an established Stanley Cup contender with one of the most intense fan bases in the NHL.
Mukhamadullin seems to understand this and is looking forward to the change of pace.
“I was a bit nervous, to be honest. But I’m not afraid. I’m not going there for the cushy conditions,” Mukhamadullin said. ”Ā I’m going to make the team, so I have to be prepared for anything.”
Edmonton inked Mukhamadullin to a two-year contract extension soon after trading for him. He mentioned that he had already declined a few contract offers from the Sharks before the trade, but was able to strike a deal rather quickly with the Oilers.
“First, we negotiated with San Jose, then the trade happened… We reached an agreement with Edmonton pretty quickly. Which is what makes me happy now,” Mukhamadullin said. “There were offers [from the Sharks]. Twice. We simply declined them; we couldn’t reach an agreement, so to speak.”
The journalist talking to Mukhamadullin, Alexey Shevchenko, brought up the idea of the new Oilers defenceman returning to the KHL on multiple occasions, but that was routinely brushed off.Ā