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 Fans Have Officially Turned on Darnell Nurse

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers
By Spencer Lazary | Last updated Nov 19, 2025 9:45 AM ET

The Edmonton Oilers fan base have officially turned on defenseman Darnell Nurse. It has been a long time coming with how he has played this season. But now, it has gotten so bad that fans have taken to social media to voice their frustration.

In fact, some of them were calling for the organization to trade Nurse because of how poorly he has played. Unfortunately, this is not the first season of his career that he has struggled. There have even been times during his tenure with the organization where he has cost the team by taking penalties that led to suspensions. It is hard to see and awful to read some of the things that the fan base said. But you can only do the same thing so many times and expect a different result before the fan base starts to turn, and that is what is going on.

Nurse Faces Backlash from Fan Base

So far this season, he has struggled. In 21 games he has three goals and four assists for seven points and is a minus-8. Right from the drop of the puck back at the start of the season, he has not played well. And now that the fan base is on him, things are only going to amplify if he does not turn it around.

The catch with Nurse is his contract. He is signed for four more years and has a cap hit of 9.25 million dollars. He also carries a full no movement clause for the next two seasons before it shifts to a modified no trade clause. That clause makes it extremely difficult for him to be traded, especially considering he has to agree to any move that they bring to him. And as the Oilers start to heat up, they are likely going to be a playoff team this season. So why would he want to be traded? Edmonton did go to the Stanley Cup Final two years in a row. It wouldn’t make a ton of sense for him to agree to a trade.

Unless the media and the fan base become too much with the comments and backlash. Then he may agree to make life a bit easier on him and his family. But until that happens, he needs to change how he is playing or he will continue to be the subject of comments on social media about him and his future with the club.