Oilers Untouchables. #3 ‎

[Vagabond]

I don't see how Hall and Hopkins are considered more untouchable than Nurse.

We've got wingers up the yingyang. Hall, Eberle, Yakupov and Leon can play wing.

We've got centers up the yingyang. Hopkins, Leon, Hopkins, Mcdavid and Lander was looking great down the stretch.

We've got the worst group of d-men in the history of the Edmonton Oilers franchise. Klefbom is looking like a solid #3 guy right now and there's a chance that he might top out as a valid #2 and Nurse looks like the real deal in terms of a #1 d-man. Past that what do we have?

Fayne is a decent #4 guy if he's paired with a good puck mover.
Nikitin is a decent all around #4 guy when he's fit and motivated, but that was hardly the case this year.
On a good night Ference is a passable #4 guy, but on most nights he barely passes for a #6 guy.
Marincin was looking like a passable #4 guy 2 seasons ago, but he lost all his mojo and now he's playing like a #7.
Pending RFA Aulie looks like a #6 when he's having a great night.
Osterle, Gernat and Hunt are both at least 3 seasons away from being ready for ANY minutes in the NHL.
Davidson looks like he'd be a decent #6 guy with a decent puck mover next to him.
Musil looks like he'd be lucky to make it as a #7 guy given his foot speed and offensive upside.
I haven't seen enough of Simpson to make any judgements.
I want to vomit when Justin Schultz is playing hockey.

That's our blueline depth. How can Nurse not be #1? I really don't get this.

Nurse has not proven anything at the NHL level, that's why. I figured that'd be easy to answer. He's looking great as a 20 year old in the OHL tho.

 

[CupofOil]

Because Nurse is unproven at the NHL level? If he tops out as a 3D is he more valuable than the other 2?

Or if he turns into a minute munching top pairing Dman who plays all situations and punishes the opposition, don't you think he would be more valuable than a #1LW and a #2C especially on a team that is so thin on the blueline in the pipeline?

It's all about projection and who is more important to the team long term.
When discussing level of importance of a young core player to a team and who is deemed more expendable, it's about figuring who is the best fit to the team long term especially a team like this that is in its infant stage.

I don't know why the unproven vs. proven argument keeps coming up.
That has little bearing on identifying the pecking order of young core members. Well, little bearing is strong phasing, maybe I should say that it shouldn't be the sole determining factor in picking out a core pecking order. Eberle and Yakupov are more proven than Nurse. Do people here think that they will be more important to future Oilers success just because they are more proven? I don't think Chiarelli looks at Nurse and thinks he's more expendable than the more proven guys just because he hasn't played an NHL game.

Where else are they going to find that potential top pairing Dman especially one with the unique skillset of Nurse?
Klefbom has high potential but I don't think he'll ever have the impact that Nurse can potentially have.

 

[McDeepika]

I would be most disappointed to lose Draisaitl from this list. He projects to be such a good two-way centerman. His defensive game is so under-rated.

 

[McArthur]

I voted Ebs. I think what he brings to the team is kind of under rated by many.

I really think the kid is going to have a huge season next year.

 

[McArthur]

Nurse has not proven anything at the NHL level, that's why. I figured that'd be easy to answer. He's looking great as a 20 year old in the OHL tho.

Didn't DeAngelo get voted defenseman of the year?

 

[McArthur]

Nurse has proven nothing more to be a neutral zone turnover machine in the neutral zone at the NHL level. Until he is a 1-2 defenseman, my mind is made. If 50% of our roster was over 30, i'd be inclined to put Nurse further up the untouchable list. But that is certainly not the case in E-town.

 

[dustrock]

Picking Nurse followed closely by Klefbom here.

 

[PeakMcOil]

Or if he turns into a minute munching top pairing Dman who plays all situations and punishes the opposition, don't you think he would be more valuable than a #1LW and a #2C especially on a team that is so thin on the blueline in the pipeline?

It's all about projection and who is more important to the team long term.
When discussing level of importance of a young core player to a team and who is deemed more expendable, it's about figuring who is the best fit to the team long term especially a team like this that is in its infant stage.

I don't know why the unproven vs. proven argument keeps coming up.
That has little bearing on identifying the pecking order of young core members. Well, little bearing is strong phasing, maybe I should say that it shouldn't be the sole determining factor in picking out a core pecking order. Eberle and Yakupov are more proven than Nurse. Do people here think that they will be more important to future Oilers success just because they are more proven? I don't think Chiarelli looks at Nurse and thinks he's more expendable than the more proven guys just because he hasn't played an NHL game.

Where else are they going to find that potential top pairing Dman especially one with the unique skillset of Nurse?
Klefbom has high potential but I don't think he'll ever have the impact that Nurse can potentially have.

Said it much better than I could have.

 

[phrenssoa]

I don't see how Hall and Hopkins are considered more untouchable than Nurse.

We've got wingers up the yingyang. Hall, Eberle, Yakupov and Leon can play wing.

We've got centers up the yingyang. Hopkins, Leon, Hopkins, Mcdavid and Lander was looking great down the stretch.

We've got the worst group of d-men in the history of the Edmonton Oilers franchise. Klefbom is looking like a solid #3 guy right now and there's a chance that he might top out as a valid #2 and Nurse looks like the real deal in terms of a #1 d-man. Past that what do we have?

Fayne is a decent #4 guy if he's paired with a good puck mover.
Nikitin is a decent all around #4 guy when he's fit and motivated, but that was hardly the case this year.
On a good night Ference is a passable #4 guy, but on most nights he barely passes for a #6 guy.
Marincin was looking like a passable #4 guy 2 seasons ago, but he lost all his mojo and now he's playing like a #7.
Pending RFA Aulie looks like a #6 when he's having a great night.
Osterle, Gernat and Hunt are both at least 3 seasons away from being ready for ANY minutes in the NHL.
Davidson looks like he'd be a decent #6 guy with a decent puck mover next to him.
Musil looks like he'd be lucky to make it as a #7 guy given his foot speed and offensive upside.
I haven't seen enough of Simpson to make any judgements.
I want to vomit when Justin Schultz is playing hockey.

That's our blueline depth. How can Nurse not be #1? I really don't get this.

How can you be so sure that Draisaitl is a capable winger? To me he looks like a prototypical centre. Hall is by far the Oilers' best player when on his game. That's why you keep him. If Hall leaves, it forces someone like Hendricks, Purcell or Miller into the top six. The Oilers' top-six depth on the wings is just not good right now.

Nurse has good potential, but I don't think he tops out as anything more than a #3 guy. Of course it's just my opinion but the uncertainty that surrounds him is what keeps him from being as valuable as an elite winger in some people's eyes. Also, the Oilers' defensive prospects are quite a bit better than the Oilers' top-six prospects, which the Oilers are seemingly devoid of.

 

[McGoMcD]

Went with Draisaitl, but really close with him Nurse and Klefbom IMO

 

[McGoMcD]

How can you be so sure that Draisaitl is a capable winger? To me he looks like a prototypical centre. Hall is by far the Oilers' best player when on his game. That's why you keep him. If Hall leaves, it forces someone like Hendricks, Purcell or Miller into the top six. The Oilers' top-six depth on the wings is just not good right now.

Nurse has good potential, but I don't think he tops out as anything more than a #3 guy. Of course it's just my opinion but the uncertainty that surrounds him is what keeps him from being as valuable as an elite winger in some people's eyes. Also, the Oilers' defensive prospects are quite a bit better than the Oilers' top-six prospects, which the Oilers are seemingly devoid of.

He would be fine on wing, if anything is foot speed might be a bit slow to start him at C any way, Wing would probably serve him well. People make to big of a deal about it, he can switch back at any time. I think him on wing gives him a chance to play wiht Nuge or McD.

 

[phrenssoa]

He would be fine on wing, if anything is foot speed might be a bit slow to start him at C any way, Wing would probably serve him well. People make to big of a deal about it, he can switch back at any time. I think him on wing gives him a chance to play wiht Nuge or McD.

Has he ever even played on the wing? There's nothing that suggests he'd make a great winger and I could see his two-way and faceoff abilities being wasted on the left wing. I mean, it's ok if you think that way but I won't believe it til I see it.

 

[Forgot About Drai]

Close between Nurse and Klefa.

 

[Bryanbryoil]

Or if he turns into a minute munching top pairing Dman who plays all situations and punishes the opposition, don't you think he would be more valuable than a #1LW and a #2C especially on a team that is so thin on the blueline in the pipeline?

It's all about projection and who is more important to the team long term.
When discussing level of importance of a young core player to a team and who is deemed more expendable, it's about figuring who is the best fit to the team long term especially a team like this that is in its infant stage.

I don't know why the unproven vs. proven argument keeps coming up.
That has little bearing on identifying the pecking order of young core members. Well, little bearing is strong phasing, maybe I should say that it shouldn't be the sole determining factor in picking out a core pecking order. Eberle and Yakupov are more proven than Nurse. Do people here think that they will be more important to future Oilers success just because they are more proven? I don't think Chiarelli looks at Nurse and thinks he's more expendable than the more proven guys just because he hasn't played an NHL game.

Where else are they going to find that potential top pairing Dman especially one with the unique skillset of Nurse?
Klefbom has high potential but I don't think he'll ever have the impact that Nurse can potentially have.

If he proves to be a 35 point #1 defenseman clearly the tables turn. That said RNH is not just a 2C, he'd be a 1C on a number of teams in the league and he has yet to reach his peak. Hall is also not just a 1LW, he is one of the best scoring LWers in the league. If Nurse becomes our 1D by default and in reality is a Petry level guy but more physical is he worth more than the other two? With Nurse it's all about potential right now, until he realizes it there's no way that I put him ahead of the other two or Klefbom for that matter. He is not a McDavid-esque talent that warrants him being penciled in as our 1C for the entirety of his RFA years at the very least.

 

[Bryanbryoil]

Went with Draisaitl, but really close with him Nurse and Klefbom IMO

IMO we're really splitting hairs between those 3 and Eberle. Yak is a little below but he could change that this season.

 

[harpoon]

What about the guy who has:

a) never been worse than third in team scoring since his rookie year.
b) led the team in scoring three of his five seasons, and tallied more goals than any Oiler over that span.
c) scored at a 0.8 PPG pace for the first 350 games of his career.
d) personally scored 120 of the 920 goals the Oilers have scored between 2010 and 2015.
e) has either scored or assisted on 31% of all Oiler goals over that same time frame.
f) has scored 14-20-34 in 37 WC contests and now has a gold medal.
g) has delivered some of the best shootout results in the league.
h) is only 25.
i) and finally, cause lets not under-estimate the ability to stay in the lineup, has missed only seven games over four seasons since his rookie year?

I wonder when that guy is going to be untouchable enough for this board.

 

[Bryanbryoil]

What about the guy who has:

a) never been worse than third in team scoring since his rookie year.
b) led the team in scoring three of his five seasons, and tallied more goals than any Oiler over that span.
c) scored at a 0.8 PPG pace for the first 350 games of his career.
d) personally scored 120 of the 920 goals the Oilers have scored between 2010 and 2015.
e) has either scored or assisted on 31% of all Oiler goals over that same time frame.
f) has scored 14-20-34 in 37 WC contests and now has a gold medal.
g) has delivered some of the best shootout results in the league.
h) is only 25.
i) and finally, cause lets not under-estimate the ability to stay in the lineup, has missed only seven games over four seasons since his rookie year?

I wonder when that guy is going to be untouchable enough for this board.

FWIW I'm not at all interested in dealing him, I just think that some others may well be more critical to us winning in the future.

 

[I am the Liquor]

Nurse has not proven anything at the NHL level, that's why. I figured that'd be easy to answer. He's looking great as a 20 year old in the OHL tho.

Neither has Connor McDavid but half the board has changed their usernames to Mc-Whatever.

Not proven anything at the nhl level is such an easy cop out to hide behind isnt it?

I think about two of the players (Hall and Ebs) have proven anything significant at the nhl level.

Maybe we should just forget about the entire thread idea based on the hasnt proven anything in the nhl yet mantra?

Fact of the matter is Nurse offers something that we dont have, anywhere in the entire organization. Think about that.

 

[phrenssoa]

Neither has Connor McDavid but half the board has changed their usernames to Mc-Whatever.

Not proven anything at the nhl level is such an easy cop out to hide behind isnt it?

I think about two of the players (Hall and Ebs) have proven anything significant at the nhl level.

Maybe we should just forget about the entire thread idea based on the hasnt proven anything in the nhl yet mantra?

Fact of the matter is Nurse offers something that we dont have, anywhere in the entire organization. Think about that.

When it comes to prospects, these threads are all about how you value the player's potential... I think people's perceptions on Nurse vary. Some people seem to be quite certain of his eventual success as a top-pairing guy in the NHL while others are slightly skeptical. Nothing wrong with that. That's what opinions are all about. With McDavid, it's different because everyone expects him to become a generational talent.

 

[I am the Liquor]

I think people's perceptions on Nurse vary. Some people seem to be quite certain of his eventual success as a top-pairing guy in the NHL while others are slightly skeptical. Nothing wrong with that. That's what opinions are all about. With McDavid, it's different because everyone expects him to become a generational talent.

But he's proven nothing in the nhl. Dont you see?

 

[Bryanbryoil]

But he's proven nothing in the nhl. Dont you see?

Has Nurse shown that he's a Doughty level talent at this point? We all hope that he becomes a mean top pairing guy that puts up some solid offense as well but it's far from certain.

McDavid on the other hand is a completely different animal and generally speaking forwards are easier to project than D.

 

[I am the Liquor]

Has Nurse shown that he's a Doughty level talent at this point? We all hope that he becomes a mean top pairing guy that puts up some solid offense as well but it's far from certain.

McDavid on the other hand is a completely different animal and generally speaking forwards are easier to project than D.

How much offense is Doughty putting up these days? That isnt really the point. Doughty is an all round, every situation type dman. Im hoping that is what Nurse will be. He is the only guy who could possibly do that while also bringing a physical/nasty game that we have. On the team or in the system. That's a big deal.

I dont mind if people disagree or whatever. That's not the point. But if the sum total of the argument is "he hasnt proven anything in the nhl yet", I think that is a cop out.

 

[Topkatz]

No one is untouchable after Hall, RNH and Nurse.... for the right price.

 

[SK13]

What about the guy who has:

a) never been worse than third in team scoring since his rookie year.
b) led the team in scoring three of his five seasons, and tallied more goals than any Oiler over that span.
c) scored at a 0.8 PPG pace for the first 350 games of his career.
d) personally scored 120 of the 920 goals the Oilers have scored between 2010 and 2015.
e) has either scored or assisted on 31% of all Oiler goals over that same time frame.
f) has scored 14-20-34 in 37 WC contests and now has a gold medal.
g) has delivered some of the best shootout results in the league.
h) is only 25.
i) and finally, cause lets not under-estimate the ability to stay in the lineup, has missed only seven games over four seasons since his rookie year?

I wonder when that guy is going to be untouchable enough for this board.

He was my vote.

Top-10 in his position, easy chemistry with every player he plays with. Smart, reliable and at times explosive. He's a great complimentary top-line talent and a necessary player to have when you're strong down the middle.

I understand people saying Darnell Nurse, though. If he meets the high end of his projection he could be more than complimentary.

 

[OilTastic]

We would have to be daft to trade Nurse at this point.

^insane you say? i agree!!