The Edmonton Oilers made a decision in 2013 to select Darnell Nurse with the 7th overall pick in the NHL’s entry draft. Wisely, the Oilers allowed Nurse to develop in the OHL for the next two seasons. He emerged as the best defender in junior hockey and totally dominated in the 2015 World Junior Championships for the Gold Medal winning Canadian side.
At the conclusion of both years, Nurse got into a handful of AHL games, including some playoff tilts. In 2014-15, Nurse actually looked solid in the AHL, and while he had some tough moments, he looked ready to turn pro. Before this season, I thought the game plan should be significant AHL time, but after just six games he was recalled to the NHL and hasn’t looked back.
AHL Nurse:
Darnell Nurse played in only six AHL tilts this season for Bakersfield. I mention that twice in a row because I think it’s a point worth talking about. This is a 20 year old rookie pro defender who really hasn’t been given much minor league time. To me, that seems like a bit of a mistake.
In those six game, Nurse registered just one point, an assist, and recorded an even rating. Nurse was playing in all situations for the Condors and was playing some heavy minutes for them. That said, there were still parts of his game that needed some work, that was common sense.
This was a player showing signs but one who wasn’t completely ready for the big show. Unfortunately, due to injury, the Oilers had no choice but to give Nurse his first extended look in the NHL.
Paging Darnell:
Nurse got the call to Edmonton early and has played in 41 games for the club, exactly half of an NHL season. In that span, he’s registered 2-6-8 and a -9 rating. Those numbers aren’t bad for a rookie defender on a bad hockey team. He’s not producing a ton of offense, but he isn’t seeing a ton of power play time and, again, he is only 20 years old.
Nurse actually looked really good in his first few games with the Oilers. He provided the team with a package of speed, skill, size and grit. Essentially, Nurse was everything the Oilers had been looking for. As a result, he saw time with Andrej Sekera and he saw the toughest assignments on the team. While he hung on early, predictably Nurse saw his play slide to the point that he was sheltered and moved down the roster.
His play didn’t just fall in terms of the numbers, but it fell to the eye too, you could see him struggling to keep up.
There was another strong, although small, stretch for Nurse, but he was then placed with Justin Schultz on the team’s second pairing. In theory, this unit should work, mainly because Schultz is an offensive defender and Nurse is a complete defender. That said, this pairing has been an utter disaster as Nurse is learning on the fly and Schultz struggles mightily playing the defensive aspect of defense.
Again, Darnell Nurse is struggling. He appears in over his head and his play is suffering. His average ice time per game of 21:06 is simply too much, he isn’t ready for it and it’s showing.
It’s Time To Move:
No, the Oilers should not trade Darnell Nurse, that would be foolish, but they should send him back to the AHL. In Bakersfield, Nurse can continue developing as a professional hockey player, can play big minutes and can play in all situations against a more appropriate level of competition. This isn’t saying this player is a bust, it’s saying he isn’t ready for the NHL.
There’s no shame in that either, honest. Oscar Klefbom played against men in Sweden for a few seasons before coming over, and he’s now a legit top four defender in the NHL. In fact, you can argue that Klefbom is the team’s best defender when he’s in the lineup. During his rookie North American pro season (2013-14) he played in 48 games for the Oklahoma City Barons of the AHL. That development time was key for Klefbom, in fact this is the first season that he won’t see any AHL time.
Final Thoughts:
Darnell Nurse is not ready for the NHL right now, but there is no shame in that. This is a very talented young hockey player who is going to be a key part of the future in Edmonton. I’ll put anything down that this kid will be a top four defender during his career, in fact I believe he can be a number one defender in this league. He’s got a rare combination of size, speed, grit and physical play. The Oilers honestly haven’t seen a package like this since Chris Pronger.
However, right now, Darnell Nurse is not that player. He’s a twenty year old kid trying to adapt to the pro game while playing minutes meant for a 28 year old veteran player. He’s in over his head and it’s become apparent. It was, overall, a very good first extended look for Nurse, but now is the time to send him back to Bakersfield and let him develop.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
