Mukhamadullin signs with Oilers, ending his short Sharks run tied to the Timo Meier trade

The San Jose Sharks lost another piece of the Timo Meier trade when defenseman Shakir Mukhamadullin signed with the Edmonton Oilers ahead of the NHL arbitration deadline. Mukhamadullin, who arrived in San Jose as a return component connected to the Meier deal, will now shift to a new role in Alberta, with his time in Sharks colors effectively coming to an end after a brief stint with the club.

Edmonton’s acquisition comes at a time when NHL teams are trying to lock in structural pieces before the league’s summer decisions narrow. According to reporting, the contract is for two years and valued at $3.5 million. The first season is structured at $1.55 million in salary with a $200,000 signing bonus, followed by a $1.75 million salary in 2027-28. The deal also removes any remaining uncertainty about Mukhamadullin’s status that arbitration deadlines can create.

Mukhamadullin’s path to San Jose has been anything but direct. He was originally selected 20th overall by the New Jersey Devils in 2020, but he never played a game for New Jersey. Instead, his NHL rights were moved in the Meier trade framework, ultimately landing him in the Sharks system, where he worked his way into a more sustained role than earlier stops.

In San Jose, Mukhamadullin logged his most extensive NHL window to date. Reporting describes a 50-game stretch in the 2025-26 season, when he recorded five goals and 12 points and averaged 17:09 of ice time. He also posted 63 blocked shots, a marker that fits the defensive assignments that can shape a bottom-pair or matchup-heavy role. The same report notes that his season included multiple injury interruptions, which helps explain why the club’s look at him spanned growth moments and disruption.

For the Sharks, the departure is another reminder of how quickly trade returns can move on once they become arbitration-eligible and capable of setting a market. After Mukhamadullin’s arrival in 2023, San Jose treated him as part of a longer-term defensive picture. But the transaction life cycle, combined with player performance and organizational needs, means teams do not always get to hold onto every asset through its projected timeline.

The Oilers, meanwhile, are adding a defenseman with recent NHL experience and a track record that suggests he can handle defensive-zone responsibility. The fit will depend on how Edmonton places him within its pairings and special teams plans, and whether his role expands beyond shot-blocking and containment toward a more consistent offense-driving presence.

The key next step for Edmonton will be training-camp usage and how the organization evaluates Mukhamadullin’s health and minutes as preseason approaches. For San Jose, the immediate question is what kind of defensive depth it replaces, given that this is another “piece” that has moved out of a deal tied to the Meier era. With multiple arbitration decisions typically clustering in the same window, more movement in both organizations would not be surprising.

When the contracts are finally added to the full offseason ledger, this signing will also become one more data point in how quickly the NHL turns over the second wave of trade returns. Mukhamadullin’s move out of San Jose illustrates that a player can become more visible during a single full season, then quickly be repositioned once other teams are ready to commit money and term.