Player Discussion Darnell Nurse is a #1 dman

[McJadeddog]

He just hasn’t had a great season. He did play pretty well after the coaching change but he’s pretty average for many months.

He was probably playing like a #2 after the coaching change but he’s more like a #3/4 currently.

Hopefully he can pick it up in the playoffs but every mistake is amplified in the playoffs and making good decisions isn’t his strong suit.

I think hes a bit lucky in this market that Ceci is the scapegoat of the pairing. Don’t get me wrong he has his faults, but its just as much on Nurse.

Everyone knows he’s overpaid but the fact that you can’t really count on him is equally bad. He’s just not consistent. In any given week, you will get games from A to D with him.

I like a lot of what Nurse brings, but he is playing like a bottom pairing guy right now, not a 3/4. This stretch might be the worst stretch of hockey he has played in the past 5 years. No stats to back that up, just a feel, so I could be wrong though.

He isn't on the top-pairing anymore, with Ekholm/Bouchard taking that role over, so we only need him to play like a 2nd pairing guy come playoffs. So hopefully he can turn it around.

I really wonder if the next GM is going to have to try and find a way of moving Nurse though in the offseason. I can't see how this team can afford having him earn what he does once the Drai contract kicks in. The problem is that Nurse has a full NMC for another 3 years.

No, no he is not. He was for a special season but he hasn’t been since. If he doesn’t step up in the playoffs you find a way to move him.

I just stated basically the same thing, but he has a full NMC, so..... He can basically just say no, and we are stuck with him. I don't see it happening. SHOULD it happen, unfortunately, I think the answer is yes, but that doesn't mean it WILL happen.

 

[Mr Positive]

He did have that amazing stretch of games during the streak. He gets into trouble when he starts chasing offense, bad habits reinforced because he does create offense, even in that last game.

But with him, once he starts playing that way it's like he loses his bearings in the D zone and it's a liability overall

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

He did have that amazing stretch of games during the streak. He gets into trouble when he starts chasing offense, bad habits reinforced because he does create offense, even in that last game.

But with him, once he starts playing that way it's like he loses his bearings in the D zone and it's a liability overall

At this point I think it's fair to say this is who the player is. The player who pinches needlessly, who ices pucks without being challenged and who has unfortunate lapses in awareness. He has some offensive and defensive upside but the errors are just too egregious.

I'll never blame him for the contract but it was a bad idea the moment it was conceived.

 

[Oilhawks]

Dumbnell Nurse needs to have his minutes cut back heavily, or a real top pairing RD to compensate for his stupidity.

Ekholm > Bouchard > Nurse

He needs to be the 4th best d man on this team, which is absolutely brutal.

 

[Stoneman89]

Darnell Nurse is a #1 defenceman.

Brittany Spears is not crazy.

Janice Gretzky doesn't dress like a hooker.

 

[foshizzle]

He just hasn’t had a great season. He did play pretty well after the coaching change but he’s pretty average for many months.

He was probably playing like a #2 after the coaching change but he’s more like a #3/4 currently.

Hopefully he can pick it up in the playoffs but every mistake is amplified in the playoffs and making good decisions isn’t his strong suit.

I think hes a bit lucky in this market that Ceci is the scapegoat of the pairing. Don’t get me wrong he has his faults, but its just as much on Nurse.

Everyone knows he’s overpaid but the fact that you can’t really count on him is equally bad. He’s just not consistent. In any given week, you will get games from A to D with him.

Um, he was never a 2 this season and isn’t a 3/4 now. The coaching staff has been deploying him
And Ceci as a 3rd pair since March 1 (time against elites)

 

[Kolja]

The coaching staff has been deploying him And Ceci as a 3rd pair since March 1 (time against elites)

I wonder what this does to him. Knowing he makes the most of any D and is deployed furthest down in the chain. I usually asume his pinches and tendency to overplay is a product of the discrepancy between skill and paycheck. I can only asume this adds fuel to the fire.

I don't think it is totally unthinkable that he actually could accept a trade/move to a team that needs an anchor on the backend. Where the paycheck and his utilization adds up. Perhaps in a lesser hockey-focused market.

 

[Bryanbryoil]

I wonder what this does to him. Knowing he makes the most of any D and is deployed furthest down in the chain. I usually asume his pinches and tendency to overplay is a product of the discrepancy between skill and paycheck. I can only asume this adds fuel to the fire.

I don't think it is totally unthinkable that he actually could accept a trade/move to a team that needs an anchor on the backend. Where the paycheck and his utilization adds up. Perhaps in a lesser hockey-focused market.

Let's hope so because if the highest paid player remaining from the McDrai era is Nurse that would be beyond ugly.

 

[Kolja]

... if the highest paid player remaining from the McDrai era is Nurse that would be beyond ugly.

Holy overpay Batman!!!

 

[guymez]

Um, he was never a 2 this season and isn’t a 3/4 now. The coaching staff has been deploying him
And Ceci as a 3rd pair since March 1 (time against elites)

Nurse/Ceci split top pairing time with Ekholm/Bouchard earlier in the season.
I posted the numbers either in this thread or the Bouchard thread.

 

[Gordy Elbows]

Nurse has been playing regularly since 2015-16 and here we are trying to decide if he’s a 3-4 Dman or 5-6 Dman.
I don’t know if that says more about Nurse or team management.
Actually, it says a lot about both.

 

[Lay Z Boy GM]

At this point I’m hoping Broberg can finally step in as a 2nd/3rd pair guy and we get rid of Nurse.

 

[CROTT]

Let's hope so because if the highest paid player remaining from the McDrai era is Nurse that would be beyond ugly.

I think at that point the Oilers trade him retaining ~2 million and completely rebuild. Nurse would only have three years remaining, when McDavid is set to have the option to be an UFA.

 

[CROTT]

At this point I’m hoping Broberg can finally step in as a 2nd/3rd pair guy and we get rid of Nurse.

I think it will either be Kulak or Broberg as the 3LHD next season. Odds are that Kulak gets moved for the cheaper Broberg.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

Nurse has been playing regularly since 2015-16 and here we are trying to decide if he’s a 3-4 Dman or 5-6 Dman.
I don’t know if that says more about Nurse or team management.
Actually, it says a lot about both.

Nurse is a reasonably good 2nd pair D-man but management grossly misplayed their hand in his career year.

He also seems to have lost his bite, or rather he'll channel it in really stupid ways.

 

[foshizzle]

Nurse/Ceci split top pairing time with Ekholm/Bouchard earlier in the season.
I posted the numbers either in this thread or the Bouchard thread.

But as the competition moved from a soft schedule to a tougher schedule - the deployment changed. What’s even uglier is Draisaitl and McDavid’s numbers when on the ice with those 2- specifically Ceci. Part of why they get destroyed is they can’t move the puck. In the playoffs- the forecheck increases and Ceci/Nurse fold like a cheap tent. I’m shocked we haven’t seen more Stetcher as he can transition the puck much better and has decent metrics playing top 4 mins

Nurse is a reasonably good 2nd pair D-man but management grossly misplayed their hand in his career year.

He also seems to have lost his bite, or rather he'll channel it in really stupid ways.

Right now - he isn’t a good 2nd pair. That’s why he’s mins against elites has been cut. To be fair, he plays with Ceci. Ceci has been horrible from Ottawa to Pittsburgh. He has been ripped by media in all those markets. Edmonton media loves him though. Don’t know why. Nurse and Stetcher is a pair I’d like to see get some more mins together.

 

[K1984]

But as the competition moved from a soft schedule to a tougher schedule - the deployment changed. What’s even uglier is Draisaitl and McDavid’s numbers when on the ice with those 2- specifically Ceci. Part of why they get destroyed is they can’t move the puck. In the playoffs- the forecheck increases and Ceci/Nurse fold like a cheap tent. I’m shocked we haven’t seen more Stetcher as he can transition the puck much better and has decent metrics playing top 4 mins


Right now - he isn’t a good 2nd pair. That’s why he’s mins against elites has been cut. To be fair, he plays with Ceci. Ceci has been horrible from Ottawa to Pittsburgh. He has been ripped by media in all those markets. Edmonton media loves him though. Don’t know why. Nurse and Stetcher is a pair I’d like to see get some more mins together.

This isn't true. Ceci was highly praised in Pittsburgh and was objectively good here in the first year. I'd take 2022 Ceci in a heartbeat, just sucks that we haven't seen 2022 Ceci with any consistency since 2022.

 

[foshizzle]

This isn't true. Ceci was highly praised in Pittsburgh and was objectively good here in the first year. I'd take 2022 Ceci in a heartbeat, just sucks that we haven't seen 2022 Ceci with any consistency since 2022.

I’m sorry, he wasn’t anywhere close to “highly praised”. 2022 Ceci wasn’t good either. Folks here thought Keith was good too (Gazzola had a Chicago beat writer on who loved Keith but said his game was terrible now and used some metrics to validate that. His numbers were the same or worse in Edmonton and people loved him).

Anyways- an article from Pittsburgh. Sums it up perfectly. Ceci’s number suck- but he is better than Johnson….

 

[McDNicks17]

I’m sorry, he wasn’t anywhere close to “highly praised”. 2022 Ceci wasn’t good either. Folks here thought Keith was good too (Gazzola had a Chicago beat writer on who loved Keith but said his game was terrible now and used some metrics to validate that. His numbers were the same or worse in Edmonton and people loved him).

Anyways- an article from Pittsburgh. Sums it up perfectly. Ceci’s number suck- but he is better than Johnson….

It's kind of funny because Ceci is the reason why that Keith-Ceci pairing was decent. Keith had some of the worst puck-moving metrics in the league while Ceci actually did pretty well in regards to volume and success rate, but now he can't complete a 10 foot pass.

 

[foshizzle]

It's kind of funny because Ceci is the reason why that Keith-Ceci pairing was decent. Keith had some of the worst puck-moving metrics in the league while Ceci actually did pretty well in regards to volume and success rate, but now he can't complete a 10 foot pass.

Very good point.

 

[Jimmi McJenkins]

Congrats to Nurse, the play isn't where it needs to be, but he is great in the community.

 

[TopShelfGloveSide]

Ceci 4 points and a +9 in his last 5 games.