I like Klefbom and Nurse a lot. For their two way game and leadership they bring to this team. Both are capable of being big minute defensemen with utility in their game to play all situations including PP, PK and even strength. That said on a developing team, their willingness as committed team-first players, and utility in their games, they often get stretched with too much ice-time which is natural in all players for breakdowns to occur. Sometimes I think there's a bit too much confirmation bias among fans that falsely amplifies the 'negatives' in these two defenders.
That said, I think both are miscast as PP defensemen, stepping into a hole on this team which has been missing forever. Klefbom I think is a very solid two way defenseman with a heavy shot whose good enough to take top PP minutes on this team without a more natural, high IQ offensive d-man available. The hope is that Bouchard will grow into this team's PP defenseman which will take time. This defense will be better imo when Klefbom slots into a 1B or second pairing two way defender.
Nurse is a shutdown defender with excellent skating who was able to use this asset and athleticism in junior to put up points and run the power play. With Klefbom's injury, he's called upon to take on more minutes and PP while still supporting PK. He's over extended but again with utility in his game, Nurse can crackfill many roles as called upon by the coaching staff. As this defense develops, Nurse will more naturally slot in as a shutdown 3/4 defender grinding out PK minutes and bringing a physically intimidating presence in front of the Oilers net. Fewer minutes and a more clearly defined, focused role will benefit Nurse and it will mean that the Oilers defense - an organizational weakness for much of the Decade of Incompetence going back to Tambellini - will have finally arrived.
Nurse and Klefbom are glue guys for this team and its blueline. They've had a lot of hard miles and development on the most difficult position within an organization that took a patchwork approach while focusing too much attention on flash and finesse forward.
EDIT: I also like Larssen and Benning more than most. And love to see players like Bear and Jones arrive to bring puck moving abilities to complement the core.
