The San Jose Sharks have settled on their leadership group for 2026-27, and Darnell Nurse is part of the mix.
The club announced Wednesday that Barclay Goodrow, Tyler Toffoli and Alex Wennberg will return as alternate captains, while Nurse has also been given an “A” in his first season with the team. Last Friday, the Sharks named Macklin Celebrini captain, elevating him after he served as an alternate captain last year. That move created an opening after former alternate captain Mario Ferraro signed with the Winnipeg Jets.
Nurse is the lone defenseman among the Sharks’ leaders, and he said the role means a lot to him.
“It’s an honor to be recognized as one of the leaders on the team,” Nurse, the lone defenseman in this leadership group, said. “But there’s a ton of guys in here that aren’t wearing letters that lead the same amount each and every day.”
The Sharks split the alternate captain duties between home and road games. Goodrow and Wennberg will wear the “A” at home, while Toffoli and Nurse will do so on the road.
For Goodrow and Toffoli, the letters are familiar. Both have served as Sharks alternate captains since 2024-25. Wennberg got the nod for the first time last season and keeps his place in the group.
Nurse arrives with a long track record in Edmonton, where he was an alternate captain from 2019 to 2026. Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky pointed to that experience as one of the reasons Nurse fits the room.
“He’s been in the league a long time. He’s seen a lot of winning.
You know what he did in Edmonton,” San Jose Sharks head coach Ryan Warsofsky said. “I know they didn’t win a Cup, but he was a big part of those teams and [two] Stanley Cup Finals.
He understands what it looks like and how to get there, and I think [that] can help our group.”
Goodrow said the leadership group’s job is to back up Celebrini and spread that responsibility around the room.
“We just look to support Mack as much as we can and all lead in our different ways,” Goodrow said.
Nurse described himself as someone who brings energy, but not necessarily in the loud, speech-heavy sense.
“I like to bring energy,” Nurse said. “That doesn’t all the time mean being the rah-rah guy, but bringing the right amount of effort to practice, right amount of effort to games, the right amount of execution and attention to detail.”
He said the best leaders are the ones who set the tone first and let their words carry weight afterward.
“Those are the best leaders I’ve ever been around,” Nurse said. “They start with the example that they set on the ice, and then the words that they speak don’t fall on deaf ears.
That’s usually how it works. You got to earn the right to lead each and every day.”
The Sharks have missed the playoffs for seven straight years, while Nurse’s Oilers reached the postseason seven consecutive times, including trips to the 2024 and 2025 Finals. For San Jose, adding that kind of veteran presence to both the blue line and the leadership group is exactly the kind of step they were looking for.
In Other News...
Sharks Get An Early Test Of Whether This Roster Is Ready
The Sharks will get an immediate read on how much their offseason changes have mattered when they open the 2026-27 regular season at home against the defending-standard Panthers. San Jose has spent the last stretch trying to shore up the areas that have held it back, with improvements on defense, more forward depth and better support in goal, all aimed at snapping a seven-year playoff absence.
It is a useful first measuring stick for a roster that now looks bigger and more physical, with several young forwards mixed into the group. Florida arrives with the experience of recent Stanley Cup runs still woven through its lineup, so the Sharks do not have much runway to ease into the season before finding out whether this version of the team is ready for the kind of game that tends to expose unfinished business. [Read more 🡒]
Luca Cagnoni Could Fix One Sharks Problem Right Away
Luca Cagnoni has gone from a promising young defenseman to part of the Sharks opening night plans, with San Jose locking him into the roster after a strong preseason push. The 21-year-old was informed by general manager Mike Grier during the clubs final preseason trip, a sign that the organization sees him as more than just a depth option heading into the season.
For a Sharks team looking to sharpen its offense from the blue line, Cagnonis arrival matters right away. He is expected to get a key power-play role while settling into the third defensive pairing, giving San Jose a chance to add some puck movement and creativity on the back end without forcing him into a spot that asks too much too soon. [Read more 🡒]
Yaroslav Askarov Enters A Make-Or-Break Year For The Sharks
Yaroslav Askarov has already checked off one full NHL season, and now the real pressure begins. The Sharks expect more from the young goaltender this year after a rookie campaign that showed why they believe in him: strong mobility, sharp hockey sense and the ability to flash the kind of upside that made him such an intriguing addition in the first place.
Still, the path forward is not as simple as handing him the net. Askarov was inconsistent at times last season, which is why the coming months feel so important for both player and team. San Jose needs stability in goal, and Askarov is entering a season where he is expected to fight for a bigger share of the starts and prove he can turn promise into something more dependable. [Read more 🡒]