Better D: Oilers vs. Canucks

[logan5]

Unsurprisingly gets absolutely bullied in puck battles and perhaps surprisingly terrible at defending the blue line.

The zone exits are very good here. What happens most of the time is the puck gets shot in, or the puck is carried in and gets rung around the boards or gets knocked loose around the boards. Ths is where Hughes is elite because when he gets to that puck , he gets it out. This is why you would rather (by a mile) have Hughes in his own zone over somebody like Bouchard, who doesn't process things nearly as fast as Hughes, so it's easy to force a turnover on somebody like Bouchard. I can't believe that there was somebody actually arguing Bouchard is good defensively.

 

[Aqualung]

Here’s Nurse in 2021 if you want to ignore last year…

 

[McVespa99]

Hughes took some big steps last year. He’s not only high end offense, although let’s be honest having high end offense at his level is one hell of an advantage. He’s just so smart and continues to improve. It’s easy to forget how young he is sometimes. He’s already a top ten guy imo and would be a great top pairing guy with a defensive guy like Tanev. Unfortunately we let that guy go and he’s stuck playing with Schenn who is a warrior but ideally a bottom pairing mentor.
I’ve watched Nurse a lot and I don’t think he’s as great defensively as some are saying. He’s good but prone to make mistakes too regularly. I think a lot of Oiler fans would agree with that. He’s not one of the top defensive guys. He’s good all round and able to play big minutes and brings a physical element as well. But I think some are exaggerating his defensive play advantage compared to Hughes. I’d say Hughes makes far fewer mistakes and controls the play more but Nurse has the size and physical advantage which helps him on the D side.

This part may be true but lets be honest. Hughes is crappy in his own end. An amazing offensive talent but not even in the same realm as Nurse from the blue line to his goal. Nurse plays pretty much the toughest competition in the league and still plays big minutes. Is Nurse the best shut down guy in the league? Not even close. But considering what he deals with he is better than most would like to admit

 

[wonton15]

Canucks fan saying Oilers

Although I can't believe I read on the previous page that an Oilers fan thinks that Evan Bouchard may become better than Hughes as soon as next year lol

 

[Tobias Kahun]

Here’s Nurse in 2021 if you want to ignore last year…

Why are we ignoring last year?

Hurts your argument?

 

[Aqualung]

Why are we ignoring last year?

Hurts your argument?

The Hughes card he posted is from 2021…

 

[Breakers]

Nurse last year

 

[thadd]

He fits very well with Hughes. He’s literally a body guard for him and others Liz It’s just his mobility is questionable. At 800k he’s a steal and why teams were after him.

Fits with Hughes?
Um he's a 3rd pairing guy.
Works his ass off and plays a pretty simple game with a physical edge.
Nothing more.
Good player to have around, but he's by no means a top 4 option even on a bottom 10 team in the league.

 

[Matty Sundin]

Reading canucks D is actually cringe and probably more cringe watching them play. Brutal.

 

[Aqualung]

As opposed to you? and continually talking down to posters because you think you're better than them?

"Take a walk"

You tried to do that a couple times to me in this thread. Pot calling the kettle black.

 

[Aqualung]

Nurse is a top pairing D.

Oel is a #4.

Quinn might not even be a top pairing D with how sheltered he gets, and fails against elite competition, where Nurse succeeds.

Next time at least verify this is true if you’re going try to get a “gotcha” moment. Hint: Hughes was better than Nurse last year offensively and defensively. And Bouchard for those Oilers fans who think somehow that Bouchard is also better or close to it.

 

[Sergei Shirokov]

The Oilers could be the best defensive team in the Western Conference next year.

Nurse - Top 10D
Ceci - good #2D
Bouchard - good #3 & growing
Barrie - offensive 3/4 D
Kulak - defensive #4D

Five top 4D & one of the best defenders in the game. Plus Broberg who's poised to take a huge step, and Campbell who was a Vezina contender last season.

 

[Tobias Kahun]

Next time at least verify this is true if you’re going try to get a “gotcha” moment. Hint: Hughes was better than Nurse last year offensively and defensively. And Bouchard for those Oilers fans who think somehow that Bouchard is also better or close to it.

Gotcha moment?

Hughes didn’t take the hardest matchups on the Canucks.

That was OEL.

Better luck next time

 

[Aqualung]

Gotcha moment?

Hughes didn’t take the hardest matchups on the Canucks.

That was OEL.

Better luck next time

Hardest matchups is the only barometer for top pairing? Also Nurse sucked at, just because he was in that role doesn’t mean he was suited to it.

Try harder.

 

[Steven Toast]

Hint: Hughes was better than Nurse last year offensively and defensively.

Their dangerous fenwick % against elites is night and day. Nurse had much more difficult deployment and was much better in the harder role.

Hughes was better offensively sure, but not even close to Nurse defensively.

 

[McVespa99]

View attachment 586864View attachment 586865
Their dangerous fenwick % against elites is night and day. Nurse had much more difficult deployment and was much better in the harder role.

Hughes was better offensively sure, but not even close to Nurse defensively.

I cant believe even Canucks fans are trying to argue that Hughes is better on D. He is a tire fire. One of the most gifted offensive dmen but in his own end? come on. Even sheltered he wasn't good

 

[CantHaveTkachev]

View attachment 586864View attachment 586865
Their dangerous fenwick % against elites is night and day. Nurse had much more difficult deployment and was much better in the harder role.

Hughes was better offensively sure, but not even close to Nurse defensively.

and this should wrap up this argument

I also like Bouchard being an all-round better d-man than Hughes in the not so distant future

 

[Satoru Gojo]

Canucks are a tire fire outside of Hughes

 

[McAsuno]

View attachment 586864View attachment 586865
Their dangerous fenwick % against elites is night and day. Nurse had much more difficult deployment and was much better in the harder role.

Hughes was better offensively sure, but not even close to Nurse defensively.

 

[strattonius]

I'd concede that Nurse is better than Hughes defensively. Nurse is deployed to shutdown top players - he's a good defenseman probably top 20.

I just get annoyed by all the 'Hughes is a tire fire defensively' or 'Hughes is bad in his own end'. That's certainly incorrect and I suggest to those that have this opinion to watch how efficient Hughes can be in his own end. It's willfully stupid to try to suggest to Canuck fans that Hughes is 'bad' defensively.

 

[onetweasy]

This OEL Nurse discussion has gotten way too ridiculous with mud flying both ways. They are both fine #4 dmen who are asked to do too much for their teams poorly constructed defence while receiving far too much of their teams salary caps at the same time

The Nurse hate on this site has gone way too far to one side.

He is not an elite #1 but saying his is "fine #4" is laughable.

 

[WetcoastOrca]

I didn't vote as It's a largely academic discussion with a few fans on each side overrating some of their players and trying to denigrate the D of the other team. The bottom-line is that neither team has a close to cup contending backend. Both are well in the bottom half of Defenses. Between both teams they could probably combine to ice a decent overall D but both have a lot of work to do.
Edmonton was swept by Colorado even with their two superstars having historically great post seasons and Vancouver missed the playoffs. Neither fanbase should be thumping their chest here.

 

[rypper]

This discussion really strayed from the original topic.

An easy way to look at it is, if you were a GM drafting a defense from scratch, the consensus 1st defender picked would be Hughes. Would anyone disagree with that?

But the next at least 3 picked would all be Oilers. Maybe someone takes OEL sooner.

Neither group is great but I think the Oilers have an edge.

 

[Connor McConnor]

Edmonton would not trade Nurse for Hughes straight up even though Hughes is the better player. Understandably the Canucks wouldn’t do that trade either. Hughes is the better talent but he brings a specific skill set. Nurse has a universal skill set.

Again, I think Hughes is better if we are comparing them 1:1 but not sure why this is becoming a shitshow comparing the two. Hughes is not good defensively, he sucks at it. EK wasn’t great either and we consider him an all timer. Nurse is basically good at everything but not elite at anything.

When you have McDrai you don’t need a Hughes like talent.

 

[Deadly Dogma]

Edmonton would not trade Nurse for Hughes straight up even though Hughes is the better player. Understandably the Canucks wouldn’t do that trade either. Hughes is the better talent but he brings a specific skill set. Nurse has a universal skill set.

Again, I think Hughes is better if we are comparing them 1:1 but not sure why this is becoming a shitshow comparing the two. Hughes is not good defensively, he sucks at it. EK wasn’t great either and we consider him an all timer. Nurse is basically good at everything but not elite at anything.

When you have McDrai you don’t need a Hughes like talent.

As a Leaf fan who had Dion I feel your pain re Nurse. He can be the best and worst player on the same play.