Edmonton Oilers: The Darnell Nurse Situation
Back in 2013, when former Edmonton Oilers GM Craig Mactavish called the tall and lean Darnell Nurse to the podium at the Prudential Center in New Jersey, I knew that not only did Mac T make the right decision, but the Oilers were finally addressing an area of desperate need on defense.
The decision came well passed its due date for the Oilers, as many opportunities to draft world class defensive prospects were passed up in recent draft years.
The Oilers have missed out on drafting young, high end defensemen like Hampus Lindholm, Jacob Trouba, Morgan Reilly, Adam Larsson, Ryan Murray, Cam Fowler and Griffin Reinhart to name a few. The 2012 draft in particular was very deep for defensemen. The Oilers had the opportunity to land a great young defensemen that year, but opted to add to their offensive arsenal by drafting Sarnia Sting sensation Nail Yakupov first overall.
In my opinion, they made the right decision to draft the best player available, which was indeed Yakupov, but a fair argument could be made that they should have drafted a defensemen based on their organizational needs at the time.
However, those mistakes were mended by drafting Nurse and ironically trading for Griffin Reinhart, who the Oilers actually contemplated taking first overall in 2012.
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Nurse went 7th overall in 2013. He is a dynamic prospect. A bluechip cornerstone for the Oilers defense corps. I am truly amazed with his agility, athleticism and overall body strength. Those three things stand out the most when I watch him play. He skates incredibly well for a 6″4 205 pound man. The power in his stride makes him nearly impossible to catch when he rushes the puck.
In a one on one, the chances of getting around the big man are slim to none as his foot speed and transitions are lightning quick. Nurse has a long reach and can protect the puck quite well when he is coming in for an offensive attack. He is also very strong along the boards when battling for possession of the puck. His strength overpowers his opponents often.
Nurses had a few defining moments during rookie camp.. The first one was when he laid an explosive open ice hit on a Calgary Flame prospect. You can always tell a hit like that sparks the bench and gets the players and fans excited.
The second moment is the ferocious fight he had with Flames prospect Rasmus Andersson. At 6″0 210 lbs, Andersson was certainly no lightweight. He matched up pretty well to Nurse in terms of size, but when the fight actually took place, that was a different story. Nurse unleashed the animal inside him. It was a great tilt that sparked both teams.
There is one main question that lingers around Nurse as the 2015/2016 season approaches. Is he ready for the NHL? Given his outstanding junior season last year and terrific performance at Rookie Camp, one would have to assume the 20 year old rearguard is more than prepped for the big leagues.
However, everyone knows how the development of a top end defensive prospect works. Generally, they take longer to develop. This is not necessarily a bad thing, most of the time it is smart to let the kid grow into his own and gain valuable experience elsewhere before they play full time in the NHL. As a result of having Patience, the player is not rushed and the chances of him growing into an impact defensemen become more likely.
In the case of Darnell Nurse, I believe it would be wise to have him start the 2015/2016 season in the AHL for the Bakersfield Condors. To be honest, I think Nurse could survive a full season in the NHL this year, but what’s the purpose?
The best thing to do in my opinion would be to send him to the farm, have him planted firmly in place on the top pairing defensive unit and give him big, tough minutes to play. He will definetly see NHL action this year, no question about that. There will be a time this season when injuries deplete the Oilers roster or the organization will simply find the time to give Nurse a handful of games for a simple audition.
Ultimately it comes down to training camp. If Nurse can outplay Reinhart and a few veteran defensemen on the Oilers roster, then obviously he should start the season on the big club. However, the organization could have different plans for Nurse.
Peter Chiarelli said he will be making decisions based on what he thinks is best for the player. He also expects Reinhart to be on the opening night roster which raises questions..
Having said that, I think Nurse needs that valuable experience playing a prominent role as a top pairing defender in the AHL. He has confidence already, but if he is put in that perfect scenario with the Condors, his confidence will skyrocket.
Reinhart is a step ahead in the development process because he is older and has a full season of pro experience under his belt. He has put in the time and I think it would be fair for the Oilers to give him the first look at the beginning of the regular season.
Nurse will be good, but there’s no sense in rushing him. He will get his chance. The Oilers have decent pieces that will satisfy the roster for now until Nurse is ready to take a step forward as a top defensemen.
One thing to consider is the Oilers have time to wait for Nurse. They are in a different position now as opposed to last years disaster. Last year they were desperate for defensemen. Out of that desperation they forced Nurse into the lineup at the beginning of the season.
He was eaten alive by the competition as he was put in a bad situation when the Oilers were losing and being dominated at every angle. That tenure could have damaged his development, but fortunately Craig Mactavish made the right call to send Nurse down to the OHL after he played his second game.
This years new additions on the blueline bides Nurse more time to hone his game to NHL calibre performance. Rushing prospects is no longer part of the Oilers philosophy. Patience is a virtue after all.