Rumor: Rumors & Proposals Thread | Post Free Agent Frenzy, Will JJ Show His Pimp Hand Again to Upgrade the Defense?

[K1984]

The problem with Nurse is that many of his mistakes are self-inflicted. Unforced icings, lack of attention to detail and just plain being lost. He's 29, he's not really going to get a whole lot better than he is right now. Nobody would say he's AHL-level but he's fallen hard and he really sinks when the playoffs roll around. If he at least elevated his game in the spring most of us would look past his warts but if anything it's the opposite.

And the playoff messes are three years running now. Even when he got better after the media skewered him after Game 3 against the Stars, he put a few good games together before falling back to being the same mess.

He stunk in Game 6 against the Stars and more or less stunk the entire Final. I give Broberg a ton of credit for the job he did next to him, Nurse has to be one of the more difficult partners to play with in the league when you factor in competition.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

And the playoff messes are three years running now. Even when he got better after the media skewered him after Game 3 against the Stars, he put a few good games together before falling back to being the same mess.

He stunk in Game 6 against the Stars and more or less stunk the entire Final. I give Broberg a ton of credit for the job he did next to him, Nurse has to be one of the more difficult partners to play with in the league when you factor in competition.

It really has become so apparent that 2021 was a complete aberration. This is why you temper things coming off career years. Or rather career years in a very limited division where you only played 6 other teams, most of which weren't very good.

 

[AddyTheWrath]

God I wish each team was given a compliance buyout so we could use it on DR25

 

[Donner]

The problem with Nurse is that many of his mistakes are self-inflicted. Unforced icings, lack of attention to detail and just plain being lost. He's 29, he's not really going to get a whole lot better than he is right now. Nobody would say he's AHL-level but he's fallen hard and he really sinks when the playoffs roll around. If he at least elevated his game in the spring most of us would look past his warts but if anything it's the opposite.

Truth. The best example of a bad self inflicted Nurse play is in the SCF when he had the puck behind the net with literally no pressure as Florida was changing. Bennett swings in front of the net applying minimal pressure, and Nurse flipping moves the puck to Broberg on the boards who Bennett is skating in the direction of. Now Broberg gets the puck with real pressure and has to fire it off the boards and it goes to Florida

No reason or need to make the play, self inflicted give away. He makes 1-2 of these per game

 

[Arpeggio]

And the playoff messes are three years running now. Even when he got better after the media skewered him after Game 3 against the Stars, he put a few good games together before falling back to being the same mess.

He stunk in Game 6 against the Stars and more or less stunk the entire Final. I give Broberg a ton of credit for the job he did next to him, Nurse has to be one of the more difficult partners to play with in the league when you factor in competition.

Yeah, he was also +11 through two rounds a couple of seasons ago before getting blown up by Colorado, while chipping in a decent amount of offence.

I hate to keep bringing up Klefbom, because I really don't have any hate for him, and wish he was still an Oiler. But he also got blown up by Anaheim in a playoff series. The argument isn't that Nurse was awesome last year and you guys are all morons for not seeing it. The argument is that Nurse has played at a high level recently, and is capable of playing better than he did this year. And I don't get why that isn't a reasonable stance to take.

Nurse sat basically an entire game against Dallas, refused to leave the bench, and still gutted out a couple of shifts in overtime. It's not unreasonable to think he was playing through something, and clearly wants to win.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

Yeah, he was also +11 through two rounds a couple of seasons ago before getting blown up by Colorado, while chipping in a decent amount of offence.

I hate to keep bringing up Klefbom, because I really don't have any hate for him, and wish he was still an Oiler. But he also got blown up by Anaheim in a playoff series. The argument isn't that Nurse was awesome last year and you guys are all morons for not seeing it. The argument is that Nurse has played at a high level recently, and is capable of playing better than he did this year. And I don't get why that isn't a reasonable stance to take.

Nurse sat basically an entire game against Dallas, refused to leave the bench, and still gutted out a couple of shifts in overtime. It's not unreasonable to think he was playing through something, and clearly wants to win.

Is he, though? This is three straight playoffs of him being subpar. The best thing you could say about Nurse during these playoffs was that he didn't get suspended this time.

 

[Soundwave]

Is he, though? This is three straight playoffs of him being subpar. The best thing you could say about Nurse during these playoffs was that he didn't get suspended this time.

I mean he was kinda OK in the Finals.

+3, 2 goals, 1 assist.

You cannot play him and Ceci together, the Oilers coaching staff needs to have their tatooed on their foreheads.

 

[K1984]

Yeah, he was also +11 through two rounds a couple of seasons ago before getting blown up by Colorado, while chipping in a decent amount of offence.

I hate to keep bringing up Klefbom, because I really don't have any hate for him, and wish he was still an Oiler. But he also got blown up by Anaheim in a playoff series. The argument isn't that Nurse was awesome last year and you guys are all morons for not seeing it. The argument is that Nurse has played at a high level recently, and is capable of playing better than he did this year. And I don't get why that isn't a reasonable stance to take.

Nurse sat basically an entire game against Dallas, refused to leave the bench, and still gutted out a couple of shifts in overtime. It's not unreasonable to think he was playing through something, and clearly wants to win.

I don’t disagree that he had way more to bring and can bring it, I just question if he even knows where to start. Or if the team knows where to start. Any improvement will either require Nurse recognizing his problems and focusing on fixing them (unlikely IMO), or the org handling him with kid gloves. I don’t know if there is an appetite or a recognition from either side that this has to happen.

His game has been in gradual, steady decline (especially in the playoffs) since 2021. Each year you hope is the one where he gets traction again, but it always just ends up worse.

 

[Mr Sakich]

one thing to consider about defencemen is that they are rarely able to carry a lesser partner and look good. There are not a lot of guys like ekholm who can mentor a young guy like Bouchard and still have good results

I wonder if you could pair Nurse with Bouchard and let Ekholm mentor Broberg on the 2nd paring. Stylistically, Nurse and Bouchard should work.

 

[Arpeggio]

I don’t disagree that he had way more to bring and can bring it, I just question if he even knows where to start. Or if the team knows where to start. Any improvement will either require Nurse recognizing his problems and focusing on fixing them (unlikely IMO), or the org handling him with kid gloves. I don’t know if there is an appetite or a recognition from either side that this has to happen.

His game has been in gradual, steady decline (especially in the playoffs) since 2021. Each year you hope is the one where he gets traction again, but it always just ends up worse.

I just disagree. 22-23 was the best Nurse I've seen, he was great at even strength right up until that Vegas series. If that Nurse was on this year's team we probably win the division. That was one season ago.

 

[K1984]

one thing to consider about defencemen is that they are rarely able to carry a lesser partner and look good. There are not a lot of guys like ekholm who can mentor a young guy like Bouchard and still have good results

I wonder if you could pair Nurse with Bouchard and let Ekholm mentor Broberg on the 2nd paring. Stylistically, Nurse and Bouchard should work.

They both get killed in battles behind the net and are both slow to pucks in that area. Nurse has to up his battle level and reliability in these areas for that to work.

Bouchard also needs to have a good idea of where is partner is at all times for him to free up and be truly fully effective creating up ice. That straight up isn’t possible playing with Nurse at the moment, he’s habitually not in good position when his partner pushes up ice.

 

[Canovin]

Nurse is playing with peak McDavid and Drai, Ekholm, Bouchard and he's playing under Knob, Stuart, Coffee and Gulutzan.

Klef didn't have that kind of benefit. However I would take prime Talbot over Stuart Skinner tho

 

[K1984]

I just disagree. 22-23 was the best Nurse I've seen, he was great at even strength right up until that Vegas series. If that Nurse was on this year's team we probably win the division. That was one season ago.

I’m past the point of caring what players do in the regular season. It isn’t really relevant to this team and where it sits anymore. When he makes himself borderline unplayable each playoff it far overshadows any positives through the season.

He was a significant factor in the Vegas series loss. Especially Game 3 where he was serving up pizzas at a ridiculous rate to start the game putting the Oilers in a hole. He nearly did it again against the Stars in Game 3, only for the media to actually call him out this time leading to a short reprieve from his ineptitude.

Three years now it’s been “well maybe this year he isn’t a liability in the post season,” except he is. He always is.

 

[Canovin]

I just disagree. 22-23 was the best Nurse I've seen, he was great at even strength right up until that Vegas series. If that Nurse was on this year's team we probably win the division. That was one season ago.

Covid year was Nurse' best year IMO and we got swept by Winnipeg in the 1st round. He doesn't tilt the ice that much. To be fair, Hellebucyk was on fire that series

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

I’m past the point of caring what players do in the regular season. It isn’t really relevant to this team and where it sits anymore. When he makes himself borderline unplayable each playoff it far overshadows any positives through the season.

He was a significant factor in the Vegas series loss. Especially Game 3 where he was serving up pizzas at a ridiculous rate to start the game putting the Oilers in a hole. He nearly did it again against the Stars in Game 3, only for the media to actually call him out this time leading to a short reprieve from his ineptitude.

Three years now it’s been “well maybe this year he isn’t a liability in the post season,” except he is. He always is.

Never mind getting suspended for a critical game 5 after his teammates told him not to engage. He got baited hard. That was where I lost patience with this player.

 

[McSuper]

which isn't Larsson's fault but people constantly bring this up as reason to hate the player


no but Holland knew the risk of him not re-signing and chose to keep him anyway

I don't get this either. Everyone grieves differently and at their own pace. He seem to be close to his father and if it brings him some peace and closure by moving on all the best to Larsson.

 

[Arpeggio]

Never mind getting suspended for a critical game 5 after his teammates told him not to engage. He got baited hard. That was where I lost patience with this player.

I hated that too. HOWEVER, considering the suspension was basically unprecedented up to that point (in the sense that it is overturned nearly 100% of the time), Nurse is an old school player, who wanted to defend his guy. I know some people will twist it as being selfish, but the guy clearly cares about his teammates. Which I think is hardly ever acknowledged here. He gets painted as this selfish guy, when everything we've heard about him points to him being a Jason Smith-type player. It's why I think he was likely battling injuries this year, as his skating just doesn't look like it did a year ago.

 

[McSuper]

Klef has been a #3 for many straight years. He's been consistent. Nurse at his best was a #2(Covid season) and at his worst at times is almost unplayable. At no point in time even with one shoulder Klef needed to be babysat

I can guarantee many fans would take a healthy Klef over Nurse right now

This times 1,000,000,000,000,000,000.

 

[Arpeggio]

Covid year was Nurse' best year IMO and we got swept by Winnipeg in the 1st round. He doesn't tilt the ice that much. To be fair, Hellebucyk was on fire that series

Yeah the Oilers weren't ready for prime time that year or the year against Chicago, which is unfortunate because I think they were capable of at least a little run both years. I don't see how that's a criticism of Nurse though, the whole team didn't show up for either of those series.

 

[Davo Ikinzom]

I can guarantee many fans would take a healthy Klef over Nurse right now

Cool and if we're just talking hypotheticals then I'd love a prime Pronger too.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

I hated that too. HOWEVER, considering the suspension was basically unprecedented up to that point (in the sense that it is overturned nearly 100% of the time), Nurse is an old school player, who wanted to defend his guy. I know some people will twist it as being selfish, but the guy clearly cares about his teammates. Which I think is hardly ever acknowledged here. He gets painted as this selfish guy, when everything we've heard about him points to him being a Jason Smith-type player. It's why I think he was likely battling injuries this year, as his skating just doesn't look like it did a year ago.

I don't doubt he cares about his teammates but when your captain gives you an order you follow it.

And I'm tired of the injury excuse. A lot of his mistakes this year in the playoffs were mental. Missed assignments, bad reads, unforced icings... This is the player we've seen for the past few years. It's not a physical problem with Nurse, it's strictly between the ears.

 

[Arpeggio]

This times 1,000,000,000,000,000,000.

Oscar Klefbom had one great season, and then was consistently bad and injured lol. I just don't understand where this narrative comes from. They played on the same damn team and were the same age, and Nurse outplayed Klefbom every year save one (16-17), and it wasn't even really that close.

Nurse has a bad contract though, that is true. But the idea that Klefbom was a consistent number 3 is insane based on his results.

 

[McTonyBrar]

Nurse is playing with peak McDavid and Drai, Ekholm, Bouchard and he's playing under Knob, Stuart, Coffee and Gulutzan.

Klef didn't have that kind of benefit. However I would take prime Talbot over Stuart Skinner tho

A Stuart Skinner who hasn't even reached his fullest potential yet helped get us to the playoffs. Imagine him at his best. I pick Skinner

 

[Soundwave]

Nurse is playing with peak McDavid and Drai, Ekholm, Bouchard and he's playing under Knob, Stuart, Coffee and Gulutzan.

Klef didn't have that kind of benefit. However I would take prime Talbot over Stuart Skinner tho

If the Oilers had Klefbom (healthy) over Nurse and Talbot circa 2017 over Skinner they'd have a Cup to go with it, maybe even two.

 

[tiger_80]

I would much more prefer Kylington on a cheap deal than Ceci at $3.5.

Don't worry, the Leafs will buy out Tanev and the Oilers can sign him for a league minimum.