Analyst Believes Darnell Nurse’s Game May Not Be Salvageable

Darnell Nurse has always been a polarizing player for the Edmonton Oilers. His up-and-down play, which already drew scrutiny, has, of course, come under even more fire ever since signing his massive $9.25 million contract—and it’s now nearly impossible to evaluate his game without considering what he’s paid.

While there have been spurts of solid play in recent years—where Nurse provides a physical style and chips in offensively from time to time—it’s been lacking in 2025–26 more than ever, and one analyst believes his game may be beyond repair.

Jason Gregor shared his thoughts on Nurse’s struggles on a recent episode of The Jason Gregor Show.

Gregor said:

“Get in someone’s face, do something, because right now you’re not doing a lot, so at least try to do something. But I’m not sure it’s salvageable, to be honest. At this stage, it’s not like, ‘ok, I had a stretch, hey look at Mattias Ekholm came off an injury, had a tough six weeks, look at him now, fine.’ Lots of other guys have funks; they dig their way out of it. There’s nothing, I’m sorry. Not remotely good enough, not remotely good enough,”

The 31-year-old Nurse has tallied 20 points (seven goals, 13 assists) through 60 games this season while sporting a -11 rating in the process. He’s in year four of the aforementioned eight-year, $74 million extension signed with the Oilers in 2021, which includes a full no-movement clause through 2026–27.