Oilers avoid disaster with Darnell Nurse but it doesn't really matter

Monday started out well enough, with the news that Darnell Nurse's absence was not expected to be a long one. As per Jack Michaels of 630 CHED and Sportsnet, Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch advised the defenceman was likely to be out for between five and 10 days.

This was arguably better than a lot of people anticipated, following the nasty hit to the head Nurse received from the Toronto Maple Leafs' Ryan Reaves on Saturday night. Reaves was subsequently suspended for five games by the NHL Department of Player Safety, but there was a genuine frustration around Edmonton that the forward would be back playing before the Oilers' alternate captain.

In reality though, does it really matter in the grand scheme of things? And we're not talking about Nurse's struggles in 2024-25, which have followed on from how he performed during last season's playoff run when he was at times seen as a genuine liability to the team.

A collective disaster in Edmonton

No, what we mean is, does Nurse's availability or absence really help the Oilers that much, when you consider how poor they've been in general defensively so far this season? Everywhere you look on the team, there are examples of players not doing their job at the Oilers' end of the ice.

This includes Evan Bouchard, who has taken a step back with his offensive production from last season, making his repeated -- and often avoidable -- mistakes in defence even more prominent. And the light never shone brighter than on Saturday night in Toronto, when his errors resulted in the Leafs' second and third goals and ultimately cost the Oilers a win.

Then there's Stuart Skinner, who has continued to be as erratic as ever. As a result, effectively a quarter of the way through the 2024-25 campaign, he's projected to set single-season worsts with a .877 save percentage and 3.28 Goals Against Average.

We still firmly believe Skinner is one of the more talented goalies in the NHL, as evidenced by backstopping the Oilers all the way to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final last season. However, his talent only means so much, if he is going to continue being inconsistent - an attribute which you quite simply cannot have in your number one goaltender.

The overall returns make for grime reading

To be clear again, the defensive issues extend beyond Nurse, Bouchard and Skinner, with the overall results leaving a lot to be desired. As a result, the Oilers are ranked 31st in penalty kill efficiency and team goalie save percentage, as well as 18th in average goals allowed, following Monday night's inexcusable 3-0 road loss to the Montreal Canadiens.

This is not to say the Oilers' offensive efforts haven't also played a part in the decidedly uninspiring 9-8-2 record through 19 games. Their usually elite power play unit is only 24th in the NHL ahead of Tuesday's slate of games, contributing to the team also ranking a lowly 24th in average goals scored per game.

However, we would contend that the defence is still the greater concern in Edmonton. Let's put it like this - most people have much more confidence in the likes of Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Zach Hyman, etc, lighting up the scoreboard, than the team keeping the puck out of their own net.

The Oilers have three more games and then a much-needed five-day break, further limiting how little time Nurse will be absent. However, if you're expecting his eventual return alone to shore up the team's defensive issues, then prepare to be disappointed.

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