Darnell Nurse deep dive | Historical context, player value, micro-stats and long-term outlook

[@freddabunnyadventures6637]

Omg I’ve been saying this forever. I’m a little league defence coach and you are bang on with your analysis of Nurse. It’s too bad we can’t dump that contract. Almost all goals against in-the playoffs nurse was on the ice and mostly out of position. My kids I coached got positioning week 2. Hate this contract and my holy dislike Nurse

[@stevenschembri1288]

With all due respect, When healthy, Oscar Klefbom was without a shadow of a doubt a #1 defenseman! If it wasn't for that horrible shoulder injury he would STILL BE our #1 defenseman!

[@NotFinancialAdviceRG]

Losing Kelfbom and Larson for nothing set the franchise back a few years

[@stevenschembri1288]

Well said

[@Kmoten10]

Klefbom was great absolutely set the team back several years when we lost him.

[@guntmingle2856]

Would love to see one of these types of video breaking down Draisaitl’s career/play style and exploring what exactly he’s worth to this franchise coming into the last year his current deal.

[@stevenschembri1288]

You can throw Ryan Whitney in there as well. A magnificent talent who could skate like the wind and put up the numbers offensively. He was another #1 defenseman! He too was the victim of a nasty heel/ankle career ending set of injuries. A true crime that both he and Klefbom weren't able to stay healthy. Horrible to see such talented players have their careers terminate prematurely.

[@adams9848]

Nurse contract felt bad immediatly by about 2 million. I think consensus was 7.5 coming off the year he had? Bear and Barrie elevated Nurse's game and gave him his best years. So i feel the blueprint for his needed partner is there.

[@NotFinancialAdviceRG]

At the time, drafting Nurse was the pick to make because they desperately needed a stud dman. He was actually the 1st Dman selected in the 1st round by the Oilers since 1989. He did everything right, spent time in the minors, worked his way up to the top pairing, and even logged over 30 minutes a game during his first few playoffs runs. Seeing him struggling after signing the "contract" is tough.

[@Kmoten10]

Klefbom was selected 19th overall 2 years before nurse.

[@NotFinancialAdviceRG]

@Kmoten10 You are correct. It appears the Oilers had 2 first round picks that year. I remember reading the incorrect stat when Nurse was drafted. The media made a big thing about Nurse being the Oilers first dman selected in the 1st round but there's Oscar two years earlier 😆.

[@Kmoten10]

@NotFinancialAdviceRG yup it was la kings first round pick we got for Dustin Penner. We drafted RNH 1st with our pick.

[@NotFinancialAdviceRG]

@@Kmoten10 Oh God, Dustin "pancakes" Penner. What a disaster

[@neillore7332]

@@NotFinancialAdviceRG We never even got to see Burkie and Lowe throw down!

[@neillore7332]

9:16 - I think you might be selling the average Oilers fan short. Most knowledgeable fanbase I've spoken to. As an Oilers fan, IMO when we look bad it's for acting boorish (ie tossing trash on the ice when we don't like a call) than for hockey ignorance. Lots of Oilers fans played ice hockey themselves, and it shows. IMO it's why the fanbase loves blue collar players so much - they can relate to the guy who manages to play a couple seasons in a league higher than he 'should' play in because he works so hard and takes such risks.

[@ro_nelson]

Interesting dig but you never mentioned a huge factor that frames the player and his maligned contract = the Covid era flat cap. The business operations plan of every team anticipated growth each season which, by design, annually reduced the strain of bigger % contracts like Nurse’s. Not including this massive implication denies contextual awareness to put the appropriate lens on the contract’s present complexion and team’s frustrated restriction. Instead of $88mil, the cap could be about $105mil by now. Would this change the fan stress and pressure of the Nurse contract? Maybe, maybe not. Haters gonna hate lol but the raises of other players off ELC and inflation during the flat cap is what further damned the contract and the player. Perfect storm all around. I hope he has a great season and $9mil is the new $6mil soon.

[@darrellnordstrom3295]

Nurse is a top 4 defenseman on a team that is better than 30 teams. The second best team in the league does not get there with lousy defense. If they scoed two more goals and won game 7 then Nurse is not a problem??? I see his +/- is pretty good. Best on the team in 2023 until Ekholm arrived. Scored half a point a game in 2023. Definitely tough. Not a $9.5M player, for sure. But it’s not his fault management decided to pay that much. He is 29 years old. Could easily have 4 prime years before father time taps him on the shoulder. Work with him. Decent point total. Blocks lots of shots. Tough. Good+/- historically. Good skater. . .

[@PeterDixon734]

what Nurse and Skinner do to EDM = 👉👌

[@neillore7332]

Nurse and Connor are best buds. We're probably better off making the best of an awful contract, which is 100% Oilers management's fault btw, they used the hammer hard when they held it in contract negotiations with the player, kept giving him lowball bridges, then put themselves into a position where the player held the hammer. They could sign a bad contract or lose him for nothing. This is maybe the last remnant of the DoD. BUT.... that's not the player's fault. Nurse is plenty good if you value him for what he's good at, instead of his contract. Also, he and Connor are best buds.

[@schwamieboy1]

Buy out and wave

[@gabrielleinweber1763]

Theres More to a defenseman than puck retrieval and puck distribution. You mentioned Nurse leads the team in blocked shots. Theres immense value there. He also defends your star players, with his physicality. Maybe if all of edmonton didnt hate on him he would have more confidence and be better. Nurse is a minutes eater who is overpaid sure, but he is still a really good player.

[@shakeypudding6563]

His contract will be a huge problem.

[@schwamieboy1]

they have a full blown nurse problem. Get that man a doctor

[@jdsu2000]

Ken Holland is stupid to give the contract.

[@RodCalidge]

This guy, Nurse, should be flipping burgers for a living,not playing professional hockey. Must be a DEI hiring.

[@voightkampffchamp]

We found the racist

[@Whiskey0461]

It's very sad to say, but with Nurses performance in the SC Finals, this guy is un tradable !! %100 him and Skinner not on the team, the Oiler's win the Cup !!