Player Discussion Darnell Nurse is a #1 dman

[foshizzle]

You gotta wonder if he's hurt.

I know that ****ing on Nurse is what we do around here, and he has been terrible, but he usually isn't anywhere near this bad.

Not even with a torn hip flexor against a stacked Avs team was he this bad. Normal Darnell is a minute munching monster that joins the rush and produces 5-on-5 sprinkled in with relatively frequent brainfarts.

His minutes are way down and maybe that's just because he's kind of unplayable at this point, but maybe it's a bit of both where his ice time is limited because he's nursing something (pun intended, insert laugh track).

What are you talking about- this is exactly who he is. His analytics over the past 3 years show this. His mins and QoC were reduced way back at the beginning of March. He's not good

 

[McShogun99]

His development slammed into a wall as soon as he signed a $74,000,000 deal.

Maybe that was actually just his peak. Not sure what to think about Nurse anymore. His passing isn't improving. He seems to be getting slower every season. He does not act like a vet that owns the ice and takes ridiculous and pointless penalties that hurt the team.

He's still just chasing the play a lot of the time and in a constant scramble to figure out what is happening. Might just be held back between the ears to further improve his defensive game. If he is losing a step, that is bad news because that was what his entire offensive game was based on.

He got his money so why put in the work anymore. It's unfortunate that there are players like that which is why the NHL needs to get rid of guaranteed contracts for the next agreement even if it leads to a strike by the players.

 

[frag2]

Oh look. Another bad playoff year for Nurse and another mysterious injury claim.

He sucks. Pure and simple. He can't pass, has no vision and just rims it without looking.

Nurse is the poster boy for that "what's the definition of insanity " quote

he’s basically Puljujarvi but on D. All that potential, rocks for brains. Highly touted jr career that never translated into pro

The diff with JP is that JP didn’t cost 9.25M . though his fans were arguably more obnoxious than Nurse apologists lol

Need to punt Nurse to the sun. Maybe he’ll develop a rash or something after the playoffs…

 

[Fishy McScales]

What are you talking about- this is exactly who he is. His analytics over the past 3 years show this. His mins and QoC were reduced way back at the beginning of March. He's not good

Misconstrue what I said if it makes you feel better.

 

[frag2]

Nurse has been bad every postseason the last 3 years but more noticeably so the last 2.

I have a theory as to why he's regressed the last few years. Just a hunch that he actually plays better with more minutes and now with Ekholm munching some of those minutes, he's struggling in a lesser role. He's always had his faults but he just seems to be getting worse all the time ever since Ekholm came over.
Obviously the team is better for having Ekholm but I wonder if Nurse, mentally, isn't handling the diminished role well as he's been the top guy on his team most of his career.

He can easily be the top guy again on another rebuilding team if he wants minutes

 

[oobga]

He got his money so why put in the work anymore. It's unfortunate that there are players like that which is why the NHL needs to get rid of guaranteed contracts for the next agreement even if it leads to a strike by the players.

I don't want to think Nurse doesn't have a lot of passion for the game. I think he does. But I would agree that there has to be a bit of a finish line feeling to getting a 8x9.25M deal. Plus he's starting his family right after that having a kid.

He is probably not a player that could afford to take the foot off the accelerator if he wants to keep improving his game. Know he still wants to win with all his heart, but it does look like he's slammed into a wall in terms of improving. If this is the top end for NUrse now, we definitely paid a ~$6M D $9.25M. 2nd pair should be Nurse + a ~4-5M extremely good defensive minded D costing around 10M total. Instead you have Nurse eating almost the whole 10M.

 

[foshizzle]

Misconstrue what I said if it makes you feel better.

Not misconstruing anything. You clearly said he is better than he is playing. i said he isn't. Pretty Simple really

 

[Fishy McScales]

Not misconstruing anything. You clearly said he is better than he is playing. i said he isn't. Pretty Simple really

You misconstrued it as me saying he's good.

Anyway, you're making an argument from emotion.

Nurse is not a #6 normally and he does not look like his usual self whether you like that player or not.

 

[foshizzle]

You misconstrued it as me saying he's good.

Anyway, you're making an argument from emotion.

Nurse is not a #6 normally and he does not look like his usual self whether you like that player or not.

No, I'm not misconstruing you saying he is good- and no, I'm not making any argument from emotion- but thanks for assuming that. My assessment is based on his metrics and analytics over the past 3 years. Knoblauch clearly sees it too because he started playing Nurse as a third pair. I can get into his xGAR%. Transition defense, rush chances against, successful zone exits- but I wont here. Bottom line- this is exactly who he is. Him and Ceci were outscored 15-3 against Colorado and Vegas the last 2 playoff season- the trend is continuing. His performance this year shouldn't be surprising to anyone.

 

[LTIR]

Nurse is -13 in the last 12 playoffs games played dating back to April.
There hasn't been a single game in May where he was a plus player.

Bouchard is +12 in that same stretch of games.

 

[foshizzle]

Nurse is -13 in the last 12 playoffs games played dating back to April.
There hasn't been a single game in May where he was a plus player.

Bouchard is +12 in that same stretch of games.

Nurse has been on the ice for 18 ES goals in the playoffs against according to Dusty Nielson

 

[LTIR]

Nurse has been on the ice for 18 ES goals in the playoffs against according to Dusty Nielson

Yes, but he the only Dman to make a save with his butt crack... man deserves a raise..

PS, anyone got gif of the save?

 

[Fishy McScales]

No, I'm not misconstruing you saying he is good- and no, I'm not making any argument from emotion- but thanks for assuming that. My assessment is based on his metrics and analytics over the past 3 years. Knoblauch clearly sees it too because he started playing Nurse as a third pair. I can get into his xGAR%. Transition defense, rush chances against, successful zone exits- but I wont here. Bottom line- this is exactly who he is. Him and Ceci were outscored 15-3 against Colorado and Vegas the last 2 playoff season- the trend is continuing. His performance this year shouldn't be surprising to anyone.

What I've said if you paid attention is that he is not playing his game anymore. He is not skating, joining the rush, contributing offense 5-on-5 as well as munching big minutes.

Therefore I suspect there's something hampering him physically this year similar to how he was hampered physically against the Avs (which you conveniently omitted).

Maybe it's just a confidence issue from being passed on the depth chart but Darnell doesn't strike me as a guy who is very down on himself.

Maybe with age and starting a family etc he doesn't have the same swagger anymore as some have alluded to.

He was never as good as that contract but he clearly looks off this year compared to previously. We see it with Connor too, although Connor obviously is a much better player.

 

[McDNicks17]

Nurse is -13 in the last 12 playoffs games played dating back to April.
There hasn't been a single game in May where he was a plus player.

Bouchard is +12 in that same stretch of games.

That'll happen when your goalie has an .823 SV%.

Not to mention the 5.32 onSH% from the useless bottom six that he plays the majority of his minutes with.

-13 with an xGF differential of -2.

 

[gretzkyoilers]

Yes, but he the only Dman to make a save with his butt crack... man deserves a raise..

PS, anyone got gif of the save?

I posted a screen shot on the Playoffs Photoshop thread.

This from now on will be known as the Butt Block (BB) and will be taught to all young defenders now....

 

[Fishy McScales]

I posted a screen shot on the Playoffs Photoshop thread.

This from now on will be known as the Butt Block (BB) and will be taught to all young defenders now....

His BB/60 is highest on the team.

He's a ****ing warrior.

 

[CantHaveTkachev]

Yes, but he the only Dman to make a save with his butt crack... man deserves a raise..

PS, anyone got gif of the save?

https://x.com/i/web/status/1795271627208577304

Wtf is he doing facing the wrong way? LMAO

 

[TheNumber4]

Every year same story with Nurse. Zero big game ability. Brain disappears when games are its biggest. Can’t believe how many goals against this guy is on the ice for. Besides booting goals in himself, he just stands around like a pylon out there or as a perfect screen/bank shot for the opposition. He has no clue what to do in front of his own net, and for a tough stay at home D like Nurse that should be his bread and butter.

9.25M for a complete negative in the playoffs. Every defenceman seems to play worse when paired with Nurse. Ceci even started looking better away from Nurse and with Kulak, a defenceman that actually has a head for playoffs hockey.

Team is going no where is Nurse doesn’t get his head out of his ass. He just needs to play a simple no stupidity game. For 9.25M we should expect offence too but I’ll take solid and no stupidity at this point. If he can provide.

 

[Ninety7]

That'll happen when your goalie has an .823 SV%.

Not to mention the 5.32 onSH% from the useless bottom six that he plays the majority of his minutes with.

-13 with an xGF differential of -2.

It’ll also happen when you’re a bad defenseman.

It’s funny to see nurse fan boys clutch at every specific advanced statistic to try and defend his inexcusable play.

Hey guys did you check his stats against top six players while away from Mcdavid and paired with McLeod on Tuesdays when games are at 8PM and gene principe is on the broadcast?

A 9.25m dollar player should not be this polarizing.

 

[frag2]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1795271627208577304

Wtf is he doing facing the wrong way? LMAO

He’s defending the net his way lol

It’ll also happen when you’re a bad defenseman.

It’s funny to see nurse fan boys clutch at every specific advanced statistic to try and defend his inexcusable play.

Hey guys did you check his stats against top six players while away from Mcdavid and paired with McLeod on Tuesdays when games are at 8PM and gene principe is on the broadcast?

A 9.25m dollar player should not be this polarizing.

He should be babysitting his partner. Instead, the coach needs to find someone else to babysit him and his minutes.

9.25m sure doesn’t get a lot these days…

 

[McHelpus]

When he got hit in the face with the puck, he went to play his best hockey this season. I vote Bouchard doing the honors.

 

[Jimmi McJenkins]

He looks like he's broken. Like say what you will about the player, he used have confidence, and swagger and that seems completely gone.

Maybe he's having some kind of self confidence crisis right now, it would make sense in what I'm watching on the ice.

He should watch video of himself from the 2022 playoffs and try to remember that player.

 

[McDNicks17]

It’ll also happen when you’re a bad defenseman.

It’s funny to see nurse fan boys clutch at every specific advanced statistic to try and defend his inexcusable play.

Hey guys did you check his stats against top six players while away from Mcdavid and paired with McLeod on Tuesdays when games are at 8PM and gene principe is on the broadcast?

A 9.25m dollar player should not be this polarizing.

It's just obvious context that should matter.

Skinner making his numbers monumentally worse doesn't mean he's been good.

 

[Fishy McScales]

Every year same story with Nurse. Zero big game ability. Brain disappears when games are its biggest. Can’t believe how many goals against this guy is on the ice for. Besides booting goals in himself, he just stands around like a pylon out there or as a perfect screen/bank shot for the opposition. He has no clue what to do in front of his own net, and for a tough stay at home D like Nurse that should be his bread and butter.

9.25M for a complete negative in the playoffs. Every defenceman seems to play worse when paired with Nurse. Ceci even started looking better away from Nurse and with Kulak, a defenceman that actually has a head for playoffs hockey.

Team is going no where is Nurse doesn’t get his head out of his ass. He just needs to play a simple no stupidity game. For 9.25M we should expect offence too but I’ll take solid and no stupidity at this point. If he can provide.

Nurse is like a D version of Yakupov. Low IQ, high confidence player that has a lot of talent and plays on instinct.

Coaches then understandably try to work their warts out of their game because they are liabilities a lot of the time, but being low IQ they struggle to learn while the instinctual stuff that got them there gets neutered.

Eventually you have a player that's lost his strengths but not his weaknesses and they have no idea what to do anymore.

With Nurse he was a big Canadian kid with leadership qualities so he was given more rope than the Russian kid who didn't get to hang with Hall and his posse.

 

[TheNumber4]

When he got hit in the face with the puck, he went to play his best hockey this season. I vote Bouchard doing the honors.

He did. I know you joke. But he does need a mental reset. There’s no way he can be this bad. Have to think it’s mental and if a shot to the noggin is what helps, get it done.