The new pairing of Darnell Nurse and Evan Bouchard could be just what the Oilers need

Much has been made about Darnell Nurse’s 2025 playoffs.

It’s the second consecutive deep run into the playoffs where he’s struggled, and the Edmonton Oilers are trying to find ways to work around it. Most of his time has come with Brett Kulak, but as Oilersnation’s Bruce Curlock has highlighted, this pairing has struggled with Kulak playing on his offside.

The results have been poor, as in 123 five-on-five minutes in the playoffs, they’ve been outscored 6-2, controlling just 44.6 percent of the expected goal share. 41 of those minutes have come against the Panthers in Games 1 and 2, and while they haven’t been on the ice for a five-on-five goal, Florida has been crushing them, with the duo controlling just 36.7 percent of the expected goal share.

The Oilers coaching staff has identified their struggles and, with the series shifting back to Florida for Games 3 and 4, are looking to make a chance. In Sunday’s practice, Nurse skated on the top pairing with Evan Bouchard, while Kulak was on the second with Jake Walman and Mattias Ekholm and John Klingberg on the third.

For as much as the public perception of Bouchard is that he’s a defensive liability, whichever defenceman he’s played with in the playoffs this season, their underlying numbers are always better with Bouchard than without him. Among them is none other than Darnell Nurse, who has seen such results.

With them on the ice in the playoffs in 91 minutes of five-on-five play, the Oilers have controlled 56.4 percent of the shot attempt share and 54.6 percent of the expected goal share, though they have been outscored 8-5. However, 57 of those minutes came in the first round against the L.A. Kings, where they were outscored 7-3. Since then? They’ve outscored the opposition 2-1 in 33 minutes, controlling 57.9 percent of the goal share.

But Bouchard hasn’t just helped lift Nurse’s games in the playoffs, he’s helped in the regular season, too. The duo played 113 minutes at five-on-five together, controlling 60.2 percent of the shot attempt share, 63.4 percent of the expected goal share, 55.9 percent of the scoring chance share, 63.9 percent of the high-danger scoring chance share, all the while outscoring the opposition 8-5, for a 61.5 percent goal share.

On Sunday, Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch said the changes to the pairings come from trying to adapt to what they’re seeing from the Panthers.

“We’re always making adjustments to counter what other teams are doing, who’s playing well,” said Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch Sunday. “There were some conversations on what’s working well with our lines or our d-pairs, and our lines and d-pairs might switch up a little bit, whether that’s after the first period, a little later on in the game, whenever that is.

“Fortunately, our players are comfortable with any changes we do make, just because of how much we’ve fluctuated our pairs and lines throughout the season. We get through Games 1 and 2, we had some changes, and games throughout the rest of the series, there will be some more.

The Oilers will need Nurse and Bouchard to be at the top of their game, especially with the series shifting back to Florida where the Panthers have the ability to set matchups as they please. But the fact this duo has had success in the past is promising, and a sign they can continue it as this series moves on.

Not only could it help each of them, but it could alleviate Kulak, too. While he’s played on his offside in years past, it seems to be an area he’s struggled with this post-season. And going up against a team who has an ultra-aggressive forecheck like the Panthers, that has made breaking the puck out more difficult than it needs to be.