Oilers insiders voice concerns over top-pair blue-liner heading into Capitals matchup
Oilers insiders recently took the liberty of calling out Darnell Nurse's recent play, saying it's been downright awful, too, and more issues could be on the horizon.
Edmonton Oilers defenceman Darnell Nurse has faced more criticism than ever, and for the first time, it's not solely a vocal component of frustrated fans on the internet.
Reporters seem to finally be siding with fans regarding Darnell Nurse's play
That segment of the fanbase has indeed questioned his value for several years, but the 2025-26 season is the first time that Oilers insiders and mainstream media voices have echoed those same concerns so strongly.
"Darnell Nurse, who doesn't play tough enough, hasn't defended well, and doesn't have much else in his game that even remotely justifies being a $9.25 million defenceman? He's a huge part of this team, leading the Oilers in five-on-five ice time. When he's this undependable, the Oilers won't win many."
- Mark Spector
- Mark Spector
"This Nurse-Walman pairing is a disaster.. I think Nurse has nine games without a point here Hasn't really been overly physical, hasn't really been menacing at all, hasn't been putting up points and they just leak chances against over and over and over and game over game Darnell Nurse has been going through just some brutal play here recently."
- Ryan Rishaug
- Ryan Rishaug
"The problem with the Nurse and Wallman in my eyes is they're both high event players and two high event players together is not going to have success. One of the biggest reasons Bouchard became the defenseman he has when the Ekholm came over, Ekholm is a calming influence, Ekholm is an anchor. When Bouchard is high event and he can make the mistake, Ekholm is there to clean up that mistake So to me Nurse played his best hockey when he had a solid guy that just stayed back, simple plays, off the glass and allowed Nurse to be Nurse. I think right now Nurse and Wallman are just, there's just too many big event situations that they can't cover for each other."
- Rob Brown
- Rob Brown
"Darnell is not impacting the game, okay? He has a degree of physicality. We don't see it. He's a different player now than he was six or seven years ago You talk about the Oilers being easy to play against, and Darnell's a guy at times in his career, like when he speed bagged Roman Polak, where he's made other players on other teams uncomfortable. We've yet to see that this season. So he's got to add a little bit of physical intensity to his game. He knows that."
"Nurse for me is not the same player. He was an emotive player. He was a guy that would grab somebody once."
- Bob Stauffer
"Nurse for me is not the same player. He was an emotive player. He was a guy that would grab somebody once."
- Bob Stauffer
"I have to tell you, Bob, I have wondered if all of the noise has finally gotten to him."
- Elliotte Friedman
- Elliotte Friedman
Nurse's 2024-25 regular season was considered a rebound and perhaps his best in several years. But the struggles resurfaced in the playoffs: hesitancy with the puck, frequent icings, and lapses in defensive coverage leading to costly chances against.
It marked the fourth straight postseason where Nurse failed to elevate his play when the stakes were highest. This season, a lot of the same issues have resurfaced, and the criticism has only ramped up.
Fans and analysts can be patient for players who have a proven playoff pedigree, but given his role, contract, and tenure, expectations for Nurse remain very high. Now, even insiders are showing frustration openly.
To that end, the Oilers have changed his pairing, putting Nurse with Evan Bouchard instead of Alex Regula. The pair fared poorly together through the playoffs but seemed far more dependable at various times during the previous regular season.
Why the Oilers are gambling with Darnell Nurse's new defensive partner
It's a gamble, and perhaps not the one most onlookers would have chosen, but the team is chasing answers.
Ultimately, improvement won't be solely derived from tweaking the lines. Key players such as Nurse and Trent Frederic will need to find that rugged, composed, and reliable hockey they've been capable of in stretches previously.
The Oilers don't need perfection, just consistency when it matters most.
| POLL | ||
NOVEMBRE 19 | 204 ANSWERS Oilers insiders voice concerns over top-pair blue-liner heading into Capitals matchup Is Darnell Nurse one of the worst defenders on the Oilers so far this season? | ||
| Yes | 153 | 75 % |
| No | 51 | 25 % |
| List of polls | ||