Geez, I was just reading Bruce McCurdy's player-grades from the Detroit game. Usually the 'Cult of Hockey' guys are quite respectful (if critical) of Nurse, but this is McCurdy's take from this game:
Darnell Nurse, 3 / 10
Played in a complex rotation that included 12:13 of left defence with Stecher and 7:25 on the right side with Kulak, as coaches Knoblauch and Coffey have been trying a new wrinkle to maximize their group. Nurse had his issues at times, including being among the defensive culprits on both Detroit goals. Also took Edmonton’s lone penalty of the evening.
GAS: ES +2/-7; ST 0.
Didn't realize he was that bad (I missed this game, just saw highlights).
Oh, Darnell...! (He did have a few good-ish games recently...)
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By the way, Mattias Ekholm is a total stud. This guy -- despite his advancing years -- remains one of the best both-ways' defencemen I've ever seen. I only wish I had been able to appreciate him more in his Nashville years but didn't because... Nashville.
Anyway, Ekholm is +76 in his 109 games with Edmonton. Here is the plus/minus of ALL NHL PLAYERS since he was traded to the Oilers:
+76 Ekholm
+69 Forsling
+52 DeMelo
+52 McDavid
+50 Bouchard
+47 Hughes
+45 Toews
Since he was traded, Ekholm is literally the #1 player in the NHL in terms of even-strength results when the player is on the ice.
Now, you can argue that he gets considerable ice-time with McDavid, Bouchard, Draisaitl, etc., and that's true (to a degree). But we pause to remember that McDavid, for example, did not have exceptional plus/minus results prior to Ekholm's arrival ('22 playoffs aside). Ekholm's arrival also pretty-much exactly coincided with Bouchard's emergence into modest stardom (naturally Bouchard's ice-time and deployment went way up when Barrie was traded away for Ekholm).
In 111 games prior to Ekholm becoming his partner, Bouchard was -3. In 111 games after Ekholm became his partner, Bouchard is +50.
Ekholm is getting slower of foot (natural at his age), but he consistently has a remarkable ability to be in the right places at the correct time. He judges very expertly when to go, when to sag, when to attack, when to stay back, when to go to the front of the net, when to go behind and dig out a puck. (In short, he's the anti-Nurse.)
So far, I've talked defence only. But Ekholm also has considerable value offensively. Since coming to the Oilers, Ekholm is 19th highest in D-scoring in the NHL. That in itself is impressive for a remarkable defensive player, but get this: Since coming to Edmonton, Ekholm is 5th HIGHEST IN THE NHL in even-strength points. (He has has more ES points than Karlsson or Josi or Hedman since he came to Edmonton.)
I adore this player.