Going into the opening of free agency, the Boston Bruins had some big needs, mainly a right-shot defenseman and a top-line center. Easier said than done with the watered-down free agent class. If it was going to be addressed, it would have to have been through a trade.
One name that the Bruins were linked to was Darnell Nurse. According to multiple reports, Nurse listed three teams to be traded to: Boston, the Pittsburgh Penguins, and the Philadelphia Flyers. It wasn't a matter of whether Nurse was going to be traded, but where.
As time went on on Wednesday, it seemed like a deal wasn't going to happen. Then, mid-afternoon, there were reports that Nurse was asked and agreed to expand his trade list, which included the San Jose Sharks. Once that news broke, you knew it was only going to be a matter of time before a deal was struck.
That ended up being the case when Nurse was sent to the Sharks, along with his $9.25 million AAV, for Shakir Mukhamadullin and the rights to Zachary Sharp. That seemed like a big miss for the Bruins and general manager Don Sweeney. However, on Thursday afternoon, David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period dropped a huge bombshell on the Daily Faceoff.
David Pagnotta reports that a Bruins player blocked a Darnell Nurse trade to Boston
Pagnotta reported that a Boston player used his no-trade clause to block a deal that would have sent Nurse to the Black and Gold. Who that player was, Pagnotta did not say, but there are not many players with a clause on the Bruins.
Here we go! @irfgaffar & I are going live now on @DailyFaceoff to talk all things hockey... https://t.co/jOFXk6iEIz
— David Pagnotta (@TheFourthPeriod) July 2, 2026
So if that is indeed true, that explains the late pivot to the New York Rangers for defenseman Will Borgen on late Wednesday afternoon by Sweeney. That's not going to move the needle in terms of an upgrade and addressing the Bruins' need, but it explains the trade.
The options are all gone for the Bruins to address the need on defense, which Nurse would have done. There are just too many defensemen right now in Boston, and there are likely more moves coming before camp opens in September. For the Bruins fans who wanted Nurse, this isn't going to sit well.
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