Value of: Darnell Nurse

SeanMoneyHands

Registered User
Apr 18, 2019
15,269
14,602
i think a lot of the oilers problems with nurse would be mitigated if they just shifted ekholm to the right side and paired him with nurse. cody ceci is a fine 4/5 defenseman but he is not the right partner for the nurse and for essentially top pairing minutes. and good luck finding a top pairing defensive RHD, unless they pony up for pesce (but how?)

find a left side d to play second pairing minutes with bouchard, run a kulak-ceci bottom pair.

I think everyone on here agrees that Ceci is a bottom pairing dman. He just gets exposed over and over again by top lines playing on the top pair. Ceci shouldn’t even be getting top 4 ice time. I would go with

Nurse - Ekholm
Broberg - Bouchard
Kulak - Ceci

Amazing that Broberg can’t even make this blueline.
 

Crazy8oooo

Puck Off!
Sep 12, 2010
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Orange County
I don't think they have a choice in the matter, to be honest. They're stuck wtih him.

And all of this "he'd be better if he played with a #1" talk......he IS their #1, or at least he's paid to be one, but clearly that was a misstep by the Oilers brass.

By season's end it'll be interesting to see where he slots in, league wide, and if the Oilers' fanbase are finally done with him.
Yeah, he was surely overpaid when they signed him to that contract. Good player, just in over his head.
 

Crazy8oooo

Puck Off!
Sep 12, 2010
2,480
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Orange County
I was responding to you using the word 'hate' like a disgruntled millenial and then I addressed different topics that had been suggested in the thread by various people. I responded to that part first then addressed other opinions and I never suggested you said anything else. If anyone had been reading the thread and not separate individual messages, they would know that but way to make it all about you.

Since you're so sensitive, I can just put you on ignore right now... Wouldn't want to ruffle your feathers again in a future response.
Lol. You responded to my post, first insinuating that I felt that way because I was an Edmonton fan (which I’m not) and went on about things I didn’t say or suggest. When called out, you’re now saying your responses were for others, despite quoting my post? Sure thing…

Oh, and I’m not a millennial either nor acting like one. You got called out for your nonsense and you don’t like it so you’re now the one resulting into name calling. Kind of ironic, eh?

Please do ignore me if you haven’t already. I’m good with that.
 
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AslanRH

Not a Core Poster
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Jun 5, 2012
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I wonder if he could get flipped for Seth Jones.

Have fun
 

vancityluongo

curse of the strombino
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Jul 8, 2006
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I think everyone on here agrees that Ceci is a bottom pairing dman. He just gets exposed over and over again by top lines playing on the top pair. Ceci shouldn’t even be getting top 4 ice time. I would go with

Nurse - Ekholm
Broberg - Bouchard
Kulak - Ceci

Amazing that Broberg can’t even make this blueline.

they gotta move broberg to get help now

worry about replacing ekholm later
 

McVespa99

Registered User
May 13, 2007
6,052
2,795
The thing is...how much can you actually afford to pay a guy who needs a #1D as a babysitter? An awful lot less than $9.5M. Probably even more than $2.5M less if you want a competitive blueline.

I also just kind of disagree with this notion that Nurse would suddenly be fine with a true #1D as his partner. It's a moot point because that's not financially realistic given his awful contract...but even in the scope of a "best on best" tournament or something where the salary cap isn't a factor, i still just don't think that Nurse plays the sort of game that would be remotely complementary to a true #1D.

He might be more "individually skilled" than others in some respects, but the way he plays the game is just not conducive to playing with a smart play-controlling defenceman at all. Nurse plays the game going forward. For better or worse, that's what he does. "See puck, get puck, skate with puck". What he needs...is a babysitter who is content to just sit back, let him wander around erratically, skate the puck up...and clean up his numerous catastrophes.

That's a very different partner profile than a true #1D. While i'm sure that caliber of player would figure it out...it would quite literally be dragging the #1Ds performance down to do so, in favor of Nurse just spazzing around doing what he does. He's one of those sort of players who is very hard to play with as a D partner.




Weird though, because Quin Hughes looked just fine, great even...playing with Bear. I wonder why that is.
Quinn looked fine on offense.......
 

Double Dion

Jets fan 28/06/2014
Feb 9, 2011
11,779
4,557
Well, he’s absolutely better than Kylington
Kylington is better than Tanev. Tanev is better than Nurse. I don't think you've watched Kylington much if you think Nurse is better. Kylington is literally better at everything than Nurse except physicality.
 

Bank Shot

Registered User
Jan 18, 2006
11,730
7,527
Kylington is better than Tanev. Tanev is better than Nurse. I don't think you've watched Kylington much if you think Nurse is better. Kylington is literally better at everything than Nurse except physicality.
If all of the Flames defence are so good, why do they not finish top five in goals against every year?
 
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pth2

Registered User
Jan 7, 2018
3,481
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Have fun
I think no one likes the idea of Nurse for Jones, but he's the closest fit in terms of age and contract, and he's on a team that might like the idea of changing things around.

And both Nurse and Jones might see it as a better chance of winning - Jones goes to a potential contender, and Nurse knows how a high-end phenom can make a team a contender very quickly.
 

Three On Zero

HF Designated Parking Instructor
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Oct 9, 2012
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Kylington is better than Tanev. Tanev is better than Nurse. I don't think you've watched Kylington much if you think Nurse is better. Kylington is literally better at everything than Nurse except physicality.
Kylington isn’t even playing, he can also attribute the breakout year to Tanev

Tanev
Nurse
Kylington
 

John Mandalorian

2022 Avs: The First Dance
Nov 29, 2018
11,643
7,363
Jones is the superior player in spite of the TSN pro-Canadian propaganda. The Blackhawks can afford to keep the superior player. They have no reason to trade him for a similarly priced gaffe machine. If the Blackhawks are good enough sooner, he might even help them.
 

Double Dion

Jets fan 28/06/2014
Feb 9, 2011
11,779
4,557
Kylington isn’t even playing, he can also attribute the breakout year to Tanev

Tanev
Nurse
Kylington
Kylington was better without Tanev than with. Tanev was significantly worse without Kylington. You can make a solid case that he was our 2nd best defenseman behind Andersson overall. His absence has completely destroyed our very dangerous transition game from the good season 2 years ago.
 

Stealth1616

Registered User
Oct 12, 2019
1,707
4,185
The people saying he is a 6D, worst contract in the league, etc actually have any stats to back these claims up?

He’s not perfect but his stat line over the past few years is quite good. For a hockey board people sure don’t post too many intelligent things
 

Junohockeyfan

Registered User
Dec 16, 2018
15,088
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That is exactly what he is. Worst contract in the NHL and it is not remotely close. The guy is a scrub.
Its not a good contract by any means but not close to the worst. Nurse is a 2nd pairing dman making 9+ million.
 

34

Registered User
Mar 26, 2010
21,835
9,733
Its not a good contract by any means but not close to the worst. Nurse is a 2nd pairing dman making 9+ million.
Nurse is not a 2nd pairing D man, not even close. He’s a number 5 or 6D man on any good team in the NHL at best. Yes, he has the very worst contract in the NHL. He is not worth even half.
 

John Mandalorian

2022 Avs: The First Dance
Nov 29, 2018
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He's a 2nd pairing dman earning 9+ million. That's not hyperbole. That's fact.

Hyperbole is downplaying how bad it is.

Also, you’re negotiating your way down the line up. The further down the pairings you go, the more important it is about not making big mistakes. You might be right about him being a second pairing but that’s only if he makes mistakes/bad judgment plays in a smaller ratio. That’s hardly a guarantee.
 

Junohockeyfan

Registered User
Dec 16, 2018
15,088
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Hyperbole is downplaying how bad it is.

Also, you’re negotiating your way down the line up. The further down the pairings you go, the more important it is about not making big mistakes. You might be right about him being a second pairing but that’s only if he makes mistakes/bad judgment plays in a smaller ratio. That’s hardly a guarantee.
You don't think Nurse is a 2nd pairing dman? Its hyperbole to think he's bottom pairing.
 

John Mandalorian

2022 Avs: The First Dance
Nov 29, 2018
11,643
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You don't think Nurse is a 2nd pairing dman? Its hyperbole to think he's bottom pairing.

Nurse has skill to gain control of the puck and push it up the ice. But in this scenario, he’s often passing to McDrai and they’re doing the work. It’s not that there’s no value in that but on the Oilers is the value of doing that over 9 million? Then, you consider his vast amount of soul crushing errors on defense and it’s fair to question where he’s a fit.

If you start at 9.25 M and consider he has some skill, you rationalize his worth more generously. But if you look at his greater role as not making big mistakes, his value is significantly less.

And that’s why you see disparity in opinions. Some see his mistakes. Some see his secondary assists to McDrai. WithNurse, the focus on mistakes seems to always become more intenisified in the playoffs.
 

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