Darnell Nurse Appreciation Thread

[Seattle King]

He's your PLD.

 

[brentashton]

I have argued for years that Nurse is a cancer at the core of this team. He more than other player will deprive McDavid and Edmonton of a Stanley Cup.
Holland should have been fired after wasting $9 million on him.
He should have been flushed out of Edmonton two years ago.
And he just gets worse.
Most infuriating is that he plays if he was some kind of significant offensive threat. He is not. And as for defence he is simply inadequate.
At best, a 3rd pairing defenceman.
When does the media and blogosphere concede that everything I been saying about him is true.
Last night was just the perfect validation of how cancerous he is to this team.
No team can waste $9 million of cap space.
A good morning to fire Holland. And put Nurse on waivers. ( and if he brings up no movement, just say no one wants you playing defence for the Oilers)

Im not a Nurse fanboy and can agree that Nurse brings certain issues with his game but to suggest he’s a cancer to the team is where you demonstrate a pure hatred for the player versus a legitimate assessment of his worth to the team and where his skill set fits (salary aside).

For that reason alone the blogosphere and media are not going to line up to kiss your ass as you ask.

Wherever you’ve been before posting your 17 recent posts , you might want to consider a return visit.

 

[bone]

He's your PLD.

No. Nurse's problem is never desire or effort, it's that he loses his mind.

Contractually maybe as I think both may be overpaid by similar amounts, but I think I'd still rather be stuck with someone who gives a damn.

 

[Navx94]

I think nurse is going to step up a big way for us this playoffs.

 

[bone]

Im not a Nurse fanboy and can agree that Nurse brings certain issues with his game but to suggest he’s a cancer to the team is where you demonstrate a pure hatred for the player versus a legitimate assessment of his worth to the team and where his skill set fits (salary aside).

For that reason alone the blogosphere and media are not going to line up to kiss your ass as you ask.

Wherever you’ve been before posting your 17 recent posts , you might want to consider a return visit.

I'm wondering if he was the guy out there after the Ottawa loss proclaiming the Oilers won't even make the playoffs. A tad too emotional and doesn't think things through logically. Kind of like Darnell Nurse come to think of it.

 

[guymez]

I think nurse is going to step up a big way for us this playoffs.

He sure didnt last year. He was a liability.
There is very little evidence to suggest that Nurse will suddenly be reliable in the playoffs.

I think that the team needs to embrace the reality that less Nurse means a better chance at success.

 

[K1984]

He sure didnt last year. He was a liability.
There is very little evidence to suggest that Nurse will suddenly be reliable in the playoffs.

I think that the team needs to embrace the reality that less Nurse means a better chance at success.

Now that we've had two Nurse playoff experiences that went poorly and play down the stretch from him that is indicating that we could be in for round 3, it is incumbent on the organization to stop treating these failures as "learning experiences," or even worse, use him as a first choice in defensive deployments and hard matchups no matter how he's actually playing.

Manage to the reality slapping you in the face, not the reality you wish you had if only Darnell didn't have coma levels of hockey sense.

 

[guymez]

Now that we've had two Nurse playoff experiences that went poorly and play down the stretch from him that is indicating that we could be in for round 3, it is incumbent on the organization to stop treating these failures as "learning experiences," or even worse, use him as a first choice in defensive deployments and hard matchups no matter how he's actually playing.

Manage to the reality slapping you in the face, not the reality you wish you had if only Darnell didn't have coma levels of hockey sense.

100%.
The learning curve is done for Nurse. He will be 30 years old on his next B-day.
He is what he is.

 

[Stoneman89]

You can try to move him in the off season, but it is very doubtful anyone is going to bite on that contract. We're not talking Eric Karlsson after a 100 + season here. At best, there would have to be some sweeteners, and I'm sick of us using assets to cover up mistakes. We'll just have to live with him, warts and all, and hope that somehow, he finally "gets it".

 

[Stoneman89]

100%.
The learning curve is done for Nurse. He will be 30 years old on his next B-day.
He is what he is.

Everyone was saying that Hill is the reason Vegas got by us and on to the cup. But as good as he was, I think the turning point was Nurse's foolish and selfish foray into a fight at the end of a game that we (and he) had played very well, and looked to be in command of the series. There was absolutely no reason at all for him to fly in there and fight Hague, just brainless. Again, we can criticize the league for the way they handled it, but he put himself into their hands, and gave them an opportunity to f*** us over. And because of that, we not only lost him for an important game, it gave the tall foreheads at the league office an excuse to only give Pietrangelo just one game as well, to "even things out."

 

[guymez]

Everyone was saying that Hill is the reason Vegas got by us and on to the cup. But as good as he was, I think the turning point was Nurse's foolish and selfish foray into a fight at the end of a game that we (and he) had played very well, and looked to be in command of the series. There was absolutely no reason at all for him to fly in there and fight Hague, just brainless. Again, we can criticize the league for the way they handled it, but he put himself into their hands, and gave them an opportunity to f*** us over. And because of that, we not only lost him for an important game, it gave the tall foreheads at the league office an excuse to only give Pietrangelo just one game as well, to "even things out."

I completely agree with you on this.

In addition to that Nurse had other head scratching moments where he would inexplicably leave an a opposing player in a potentially dangerous scoring position to cover a player that was not dangerous at all.
He is just not capable of being the smart reliable player the team needs him to be.

 

[TopShelfGloveSide]

I completely agree with you on this.

In addition to that Nurse had other head scratching moments where he would inexplicably leave an a opposing player in a potentially dangerous scoring position to cover a player that was not dangerous at all.
He is just not capable of being the smart reliable player the team needs him to be.

Him and Ceci both have a habit of chasing random players and leaving other players wide open in high danger scoring areas.

 

[guymez]

Him and Ceci both have a habit of chasing random players and leaving other players wide open in high danger scoring areas.

Yes but Ceci is a $3.25M player being asked to be a 2nd pairing (sometimes first pairing) dman.
That is WAY above his pay grade and for that I blame the team.
Nurse is a $9.25M player...the highest paid Dman on the team and yet he cant fulfill the expectations of top pairing Dman.
One player (Ceci) is being inappropriately used which makes him a liability and the other player (Nurse) makes himself a liability.

So I tend to cut Ceci a little slack because he is being misused. I am not excusing his limitations just recognizing that he isnt being used appropriately and that exacerbates his limitations.

 

[Oilslick941611]

It never fails, every time Nurse has a bad game, these threads make their way to the top.

remember all the Fire Tippet/Holland threads after every loss for 2 years?


It's par for the course with this fanbase. Then act all shocked when EDM is on no trade lists and no UFA's want to come here.

 

[guymez]

remember all the Fire Tippet/Holland threads after every loss for 2 years?


It's par for the course with this fanbase. Then act all shocked when EDM is on no trade lists and no UFA's want to come here.

Just the nature of being a fan.
The only teams that dont have a fan base that calls for changes (and over reacts to losses) are the teams where the fans just dont care all that much.
This board (like many other boards) is littered with overreactive fans because (for better or worse) these fans care a lot about the team.
Some fans tend to put emotion first though and I agree that can be a bit frustrating.

 

[TopShelfGloveSide]

remember all the Fire Tippet/Holland threads after every loss for 2 years?


It's par for the course with this fanbase. Then act all shocked when EDM is on no trade lists and no UFA's want to come here.

Yeah it’s the threads on HF Oil that are the final straw.

 

[TopShelfGloveSide]

Just the nature of being a fan.
The only teams that dont have a fan base that calls for changes (and over reacts to losses) are the teams where the fans just dont care all that much.
This board (like many other boards) is littered with overreactive fans because (for better or worse) these fans care a lot about the team.
Some fans tend to put emotion first though and I agree that can be a bit frustrating.

Bingo. Every team in professional sports with a fan base that actually cares has message boards shitting on players after a loss.

 

[AM]

100%.
The learning curve is done for Nurse. He will be 30 years old on his next B-day.
He is what he is.

Nah, you can learn after 30. The guy he needs to talk to is Perry.

 

[ManofSteel55]

I have argued for years that Nurse is a cancer at the core of this team. He more than other player will deprive McDavid and Edmonton of a Stanley Cup.
Holland should have been fired after wasting $9 million on him.
He should have been flushed out of Edmonton two years ago.
And he just gets worse.
Most infuriating is that he plays if he was some kind of significant offensive threat. He is not. And as for defence he is simply inadequate.
At best, a 3rd pairing defenceman.
When does the media and blogosphere concede that everything I been saying about him is true.
Last night was just the perfect validation of how cancerous he is to this team.
No team can waste $9 million of cap space.
A good morning to fire Holland. And put Nurse on waivers. ( and if he brings up no movement, just say no one wants you playing defence for the Oilers)

Maybe when it becomes true. Is he overpaid? Yes. Does he make mistakes because he tries to do more than he is capable of sometimes? Yes. Is he, as you put it, "at best, a 3rd pairing defenseman".

No.

 

[K1984]

Everyone was saying that Hill is the reason Vegas got by us and on to the cup. But as good as he was, I think the turning point was Nurse's foolish and selfish foray into a fight at the end of a game that we (and he) had played very well, and looked to be in command of the series. There was absolutely no reason at all for him to fly in there and fight Hague, just brainless. Again, we can criticize the league for the way they handled it, but he put himself into their hands, and gave them an opportunity to f*** us over. And because of that, we not only lost him for an important game, it gave the tall foreheads at the league office an excuse to only give Pietrangelo just one game as well, to "even things out."

I wish the fight was the only problem.

Nurse serving up pizzas left right and centre in Game 3 was probably more impactful even.

 

[Lay Z Boy GM]

Nah, you can learn after 30. The guy he needs to talk to is Perry.

He’s just not that smart. Sounds mean, but believe me I don’t hate Nurse it just is what it is.

Didn’t take me long to realize this, I turned a blind eye to the dumb mistakes for a year or two. It became clear that it wasn’t a lack of experience, if you keep trying to put a square block in a round hole for years and years you just don’t have the aptitude.

For me it was seeing Nurse fill in for Klefbom on the PP. Nurse would get the puck at the blue line and panic almost every time and make just unnecessary mistakes, just make a simple pass to an open teammate.

Nurse and Ceci are both lacking the same way. They pinch worse than anyone I’ve seen, it just makes no sense, they drift out of position for no discernible reason every game. They just don’t get it, it’s not coaching, it’s not experience.

Anyone see that players poll a month or two ago? Nurse was voted most overrated. The opposition sees it, they win games because of it and wonder why tf this guy is paid like Makar.

By the time he was 24 it was clear what we had imo.

I’m hoping the new GM makes it his mission to cut the fat, clean the slate a little bit and hope to god we can win a Cup.

 

[K1984]

He's your PLD.

This is actually an apt comparison, not even in terms of contract, but in terms of how the player is perceived and managed.

PLD is perceived as a bull in the china shop, 2 way power forward that can match up against the other team's top line and beat them. But he's not that, people just want him to be that and project that on him.

Nurse is perceived as a top pair minute muncher that can be relied on as the lead in defensive situations and can take tough matchups and win them. Like PLD, he's not that, but the organization wishes he was so they keep throwing him to the wolves and hoping it will work.

 

[guymez]

This is actually an apt comparison, not even in terms of contract, but in terms of how the player is perceived and managed.

PLD is perceived as a bull in the china shop, 2 way power forward that can match up against the other team's top line and beat them. But he's not that, people just want him to be that and project that on him.

Nurse is perceived as a top pair minute muncher that can be relied on as the lead in defensive situations and can take tough matchups and win them. Like PLD, he's not that, but the organization wishes he was so they keep throwing him to the wolves and hoping it will work.

I think though that perception of Nurse is based entirely on how he is being paid.
He is being paid as a top pairing minute muncher.

 

[Broberg Speed]

I believe McTavish might have had a negative effect on Nurse and be partially responsible for his lack of development in the Oilers organization.

I've heard McTavish pump his tires and his style of play. McTavish is wrong. Nurse's fundamentals are horrific.

 

[Stoneman89]

I believe McTavish might have had a negative effect on Nurse and be partially responsible for his lack of development in the Oilers organization.

I've heard McTavish pump his tires and his style of play. McTavish is wrong. Nurse's fundamentals are horrific.

MacTavish hasn't been around for a long, long time. Nurse is what he is, no one else is to blame.