So earlier this week I did a piece titled “Just Who Is Jason Labarbera” and it went over pretty well. Fellow writer Dave Gordon pointed out to me that it might be a good idea to turn that article into an entire series, and I decided to follow through with that. The plan is, in addition to the Labarbera piece, to do a “Just Who Is” article for all of the 2013 Oilers draft picks, and the Oilers 2013 free agent and trade additions. These will go up daily.
Today, we start with Darnell Nurse, the first pick for Edmonton in the entry draft, picked seventh overall out of the OHL.
Nurse brings a lot of things to the table for the Oilers, and has the potential to be the next big defender in Oilers’ history. His skill set is a perfect fit for this team, and it should be fun to watch him ride shotgun with the great offensive talent up front.
Most Oilers fan look at Nurse and see him as a future top four guy, but the reports on what he is good at have been mixed a little bit. So with that being said, just who is Darnell Nurse and what can Oilers fans expect moving forward from this young defender?
Darnell Nurse is a terrific defensive defenseman and makes his money by playing a sound defensive and physical game. Nurse doesn’t give the opposition much room, and some say he is the best defensive defender from this past draft. That’s high praise considering Seth Jones was involved in this class.
He’s got decent size, and good speed to go along with that size, which is a good package to have. The Oilers are overall a smaller team, and while Nurse is lanky now, there is no real doubt he will fill out that frame while developing and be a bigger guy.
Nurse isn’t shy about using that size either, and loves to deliver hits. That shouldn’t be a surprise considering he is coming from a football family! He likes to throw hits and has no problem blocking shots either. He’s decent with his stick work and has the hockey IQ to break up plays using his stick and not take a penalty.
Nurse has a good work ethic and doesn’t back down from anyone. He’s a great shut-down defender with a physical edge. That’s something the Oilers really haven’t had since Jason Smith.
Offensively, Nurse didn’t get many chances in the OHL to produce. He had limited power-play time playing on a solid team, but those minutes should be expanded this season. While the stats weren’t there, the intangibles have shown they are. Nurse has a powerful shot and is decent moving the puck, although that isn’t a strength of his.
Nurse is a leader too, and that’s a big plus for a team trying to build a strong locker room. Nurse works hard too off the ice, and has a great work ethic and drive to succeed. He’s got some great people helping him too, like Donovan McNabb, one of the better NFL QB’s of the 2000’s.
Overall, Darnell Nurse provides the Oilers with a strong defensive prospect. He’s a shut-down defender that plays a physical game and has a small offensive upside to him. Looking at this with a long-term thought process, Nurse appears to be a safe bet to hold down a top-four role, and if things go right, Darnell Nurse could be a top pairing defender.
The Oilers have been looking for a steady shut-down defender for years, and they might have one here with Nurse. Darnell will get a shot at the Oilers rookie tournament, but will most likely end up back in the OHL for the season. Take the time with this kid, he could be something special.
I’ll be back tomorrow with a look at second round pick Marco Roy.
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