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Jun 12, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Edmonton Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse (25) celebrates scoring against Florida Panthers during the second period in game four of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final at Amerant Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

Oilers 2024-25 Report Cards: Darnell Nurse

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers | By Matt Parks | Last updated Jul 13, 2025 10:30 AM ET

As the offseason rolls on, so do the Edmonton Oilers’ player grades. The last report card graded Trent Frederic, and now we turn our attention to Darnell Nurse. Nurse is an extremely polarizing player in Oil Country, largely due to his hefty $9.25 million cap hit. While he wasn’t terrible last season, fans will automatically look at his contract and grade him based on that. But that’s unfair because he will never live up to that contract, and that’s not his fault. He’s not an elite defenceman, but he’s being paid like one, and that’s on former general manager Ken Holland. That doesn’t make him a bad player, just an overpaid one.

The veteran defenceman recorded five goals and 33 points in 76 games last season, and he’s hovered around the 30 to 36 point mark throughout his whole career, only reaching 40-plus points twice. He also recorded three goals and eight points in 22 playoff games, including scoring a massive goal in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final to aid in the eventual comeback bid.

Nurse Played His Best With Troy Stecher

Nurse was at his best when paired with Troy Stecher. Stecher was deemed the Nurse whisperer because when they were together, they got better results. It’s not often your $9.25 million player relies on the league minimum defenceman to produce results, but here we are. Throughout the playoffs, head coach Kris Knoblauch played Nurse with Evan Bouchard in the absence of Mattias Ekholm, but that pair didn’t work. That duo was a disaster in the defensive zone. They were extremely chaotic, out of position, and constantly scrambling. The fan base collectively held its breath when they were on the ice together.

Stecher’s presence positively impacted Nurse’s game. According to Natural Stat Trick, the Nurse and Stecher pairing posted a 60.40% high-danger chances for percentage at 5-on-5, ranking fifth among all defensive pairings with a minimum of 250 minutes played together during the regular season. You could tell that the Hamilton, Ontario native was more comfortable playing with Stecher because they were familiar with each other, and that duo was solid together. They have chemistry, and their advanced metrics prove that.

Nurse’s Overall Grade

Taking his salary out of the equation, we know what to expect from the former first-round pick. He consistently contributes around the same number of points per season, and he’s a physical defender, recording 161 hits last season, and has registered over 106 hits in every season. However, he only generated eight high-danger chances, which is significantly down from seasons prior. He generated over 20 in each of his previous three seasons. But his defensive game was better than in previous seasons. When he was on the ice, the opposition had 269 high-danger scoring chances, which is the fewest of his career, playing over 50 games. He had an average regular season, so he gets a C grade.

In the playoffs, he was worse defensively and didn’t generate enough offensively to compensate for it. While he limited high-danger chances in the regular season, he gave up more in the playoffs. When he was on the ice, the opposition generated 95 high-danger chances, the most in any of his previous playoff runs, while averaging 23:16 a game. So, he gets a D+ for his playoff performance. He must learn to play better without Stecher, because Stecher will likely be the seventh defenceman come training camp and won’t be in the lineup consistently.

Overall, Nurse gets a C-. His offensive game is consistently average, and so is his defence. He makes questionable decisions and constantly ices the puck, even if he has time to make a play. He needs to make a better first pass to avoid those icings. The 30-year-old will never justify his contract, but he needs to play his game and not be a hindrance to the team. The blueliner is at his best when he’s using his speed to jump in on the rush, while also using his speed and length to control the gaps and limit time and space. He also must use his 6-foot-4, 215-pound frame to separate the man from the puck and win battles in the corners. Unfortunately, we don’t see that enough.

What would you grade Nurse for his performance last season? Keep following The Hockey Writers as we continue the Oilers’ player report cards throughout the offseason.