NHL: Edmonton Oilers at Vegas Golden Knights – Source: Imagn

Edmonton Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse can be a polarizing player in the NHL. The 29-year-old has had plenty of ups and downs throughout his 11-year career. Though this is the case for almost every NHL player, because of the contract Nurse earned back in the summer of 2021, his game can be highly scrutinized.

Nurse’s eight-year, $74 million contract has him as the eighth highest-paid defenseman in the league at $9.25 million per year. With that kind of contract comes a lot more pressure.

The physical blueliner has thrived to start this season, having recorded 15 points (three goals, 12 assists) in 31 games, along with 55 hits, 83 blocks, and a +11 rating. He’s provided value for Edmonton in many aspects of the game.

Nurse spoke with Sportsnet recently about how his game feels amid his strong start to the 2024-2025 campaign.

“I think it’s just taken me to this point in my career to completely believe in it, and not care about anything else. I’m not going to be a perfect player, and a lot of times that’s what you try to be,” Nurse said.

“My game comes best when I’m on my toes and being aggressive. When I’m too far on the passenger side or sitting back on my heels, that’s not effective at all,” Nurse added.

It seems like Darnell Nurse has figured out the recipe for success and more importantly consistency in his game. The Oilers and their fans hope to see more of the same in the 2025 part of the season.

Edmonton Oilers come out of the holiday break looking to chase down first place in the Pacific division

The Edmonton Oilers currently sit second in the Pacific division with a record of 21-11-2, good for 44 points in 34 games. This is despite another season in which the team stumbled out of the gates, going 4-5-1 in their first nine games.

Since then Edmonton has gone 17-6-1, positioning themselves in a strong spot with 48 games to go. The Oilers remain five points behind the division-leading Vegas Golden Knights (49 points), a gap they will look to close in the coming months.

The usual suspects have led the Oilers’ turnaround. Superstars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl along with other key players in Zach Hyman, Evan Bouchard, Mattias Ekholm, and Darnell Nurse have all stepped up their play. They’ll need this to continue should they hope to climb even higher in the standings.

The Oilers return from the Christmas break on Saturday for an afternoon matchup in Los Angeles against the Kings. Edmonton has a one-point lead on LA for second place in the division heading into Saturday’s action, making this an ever-important game. The puck drops at 4:00 p.m. EST at Crypto.com Arena.