Oilers’ Nurse Needs to Play Better to Shed Overpaid Criticism

In Game 3, he failed to cover a man in front and left Trevor Moore open for the game-winning goal. In Game 4, his defensive lapses contributed to three goals against — poorly timed hits leading to odd-man rushes, bad coverage and clearing attempts — which prompted a candid tweet by former NHL player Scottie Upshall, saying, “Nurse played better last year when he had no hip/groin. Playoff time, you’re costing your team in almost every situation. I would argue that they put Demers next game. Nurse should watch the rest of the series from the press box.”

What Can the Oilers’ Blueliner Do to Improve His Play?

In addressing the perception that Nurse is overpaid, I’d agree that he may earn around $3-4 million a season too much based on what he showed last season, but he’s still an important member of the Oilers’ core. As much as many fans want him traded or bought out, the truth is, if he were no longer patrolling the blue line in Edmonton, he’d leave a big hole on the back end.

To his credit, he’s very mobile for a big man, brings toughness, and quietly recorded the most points (43) he’s ever produced in a season with very limited power play time. So, how can he begin to justify his contract?  

The first step is becoming better defensively. Easier said than done, but at times he’s guilty of doing too much, such as chasing forwards around the zone and getting caught out of position. However, there’s been a narrative lately on the “Oilers Now” show that Edmonton will be adopting a new defensive structure of zone coverage, rather than man-to-man, which could benefit Nurse immensely.

Additionally, a component of his defensive struggles could be the mental aspect. We’ve seen Nurse play at an elevated level before, and he needs to dial into that type of play on a more consistent basis. Perhaps with the first season playing as a $9.25 million AAV player in the NHL out of the way, he’ll be better equipped to handle that pressure heading into the new season.  

That said, Nurse recently addressed the topic of handling the pressure and the skeptics that doubt his abilities on the “Mitts Off with Luke Gazdic” podcast, saying:

“I mean, you also have to take a lot of stuff with a grain of salt, like sometimes I feel like I’ve been blamed for everything from a goal against to the traffic on Stony Plain, right, so [you] have to be really cognizant of the [amount of] pressure you put on yourself.”

– Darnell Nurse

Let’s hope Nurse can manage the pressure well in the upcoming season. He’s blessed with natural talent and abilities to play at an elevated level, but solidifying his place among the league’s best demands consistency — something that will be vital in his success and the Oilers’ Stanley Cup dreams in 2023-24.