There probably hasn’t been more of a lightning rod on the Edmonton Oilers in recent years than Darnell Nurse. The veteran blueliner often faces the ire of Oilers fans, whose frustration over his defensive mistakes is only aggravated by his eight-year contract with an annual cap hit of $9.25 million.
But every so often, Nurse plays at a level with such character that even his biggest detractors can’t help but extol the 6-foot-4 defenceman. And this is one of those times.
As the Oilers have turned things around with four consecutive victories and seven wins in their last 10 games, Nurse has been a force from the back end, shutting down attackers and moving the puck. The fact he’s done it these last few games with a shiner only makes him more endearing.
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Over the decade since he was drafted by Edmonton, with the seventh selection in 2013, Nurse has become deeply woven into the fabric of this storied franchise. But he’s so frequently under fire from fans that he’s never really appreciated for his place among Edmonton’s all-time rearguards.
So with everyone feeling good about Nurse right now, and those positive vibes guaranteed to last at least a few more days thanks to the Oilers’ extended break in their schedule – Edmonton last played Thursday (Nov. 30) and won’t return to action until Wednesday (Dec. 6) – this is an opportune time to give the man his flowers.
Nurse Puts in Work
Nurse has suited up for 581 regular season games as an Oiler, which is already fourth most among defencemen in franchise history. He’s just five games back of third place, currently held by Lee Fogolin, Edmonton’s third-ever NHL captain and a member of the Oilers inaugural Hall of Fame class last year.
Once Nurse passes Fogolin, Charlie Huddy and Kevin Lowe will be the only two blueliners who have played more regular season games with the Oilers. Those are two of the only seven men to play on all five Stanley Cup-winning Oilers teams.
But it’s not just how many games he’s played, it’s how many minutes the 28-year-old workhorse has played in those games.
Since the NHL began tracking time on ice in 1997-98, nearly 130 blueliners have suited up for the Oilers. And Nurse has logged more minutes in orange and blue than all of them.
With a total of 13,260:28, Nurse also ranks fifth all-time among all Oilers skaters, trailing only Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Ryan Smyth, Shawn Horcoff and Leon Draisaitl.
In Edmonton’s 2021 triple-overtime loss to the Winnipeg Jets, the tireless Nurse set the franchise record for minutes played in a single playoff game, logging 62:07, which also stands as the third most in NHL history.
This is his 10th consecutive season with the Oilers, the second-longest tenure on the team behind Nugent-Hopkins, and he’s served as an alternate captain since 2019.
Nurse Picks up Points
With 70 career goals, Nurse ranks fourth among Oilers rearguards, four back of Lowe and 11 behind Huddy. In first place is Edmonton’s new assistant coach Paul Coffey, whose 209 goals as an Oilers defenceman will likely never be touched.
Coffey’s record of 18 game-winning goals (GWG) by an Oilers defenceman is a bit more within striking distance for Nurse, who has 10 game-winners to his credit. With his next GWG, Nurse will tie Lowe for second all-time among Edmonton defencemen.
Already, Nurse is the franchise’s leader in overtime goals by a defenceman. He scored his fourth career overtime goal last March against the San Jose Sharks, breaking a tie for first place with former All-Star Eric Brewer (three overtime goals).
On Nov. 26 in Edmonton’s 8-2 victory over the Anaheim Ducks, Nurse picked up three assists to move ahead of Steve Smith for fourth most assists by a blueliner in Oilers history. With 175 helpers, Nurse is behind only Huddy (287 assists), Lowe (310), and Coffey (460) on the career leaderboard.
Nurse also ranks fourth with 244 points, trailing the usual suspects of Huddy (368), Lowe (384), and the three-time Norris Trophy winner Coffey.
Nurse Leads in Defensive Stats
When the NHL returned after losing the 2004-05 season to a lockout, it began officially tracking miscellaneous defensive statistics, including hits, blocked shots, and takeaways. Over the 18-plus years since, Nurse has become Edmonton’s all-time leader in hits (1,273) and blocks (1,039) and ranks first among Oilers defencemen all-time with 210 takeaways. He’s one of only 34 players in NHL history to be officially credited with at least 1,200 hits, 1,000 blocks and 200 takeaways.
Nurse can drive fans nuts with inconsistent play and mistakes that end up in the back of his team’s net. But he’s also a loyal Oiler and consummate teammate who has chosen to make his home in the hockey-obsessed fishbowl of Edmonton so he can help bring the city a title.
Then he’ll join Coffey, Fogolin, Huddy and Lowe on one last list, and the most important one of all: Stanley Cup champion.