One analyst is not hopeful that Darnell Nurse will improve anytime soon.
Darnell Nurse has always been a player that divides opinions for the Edmonton Oilers. His inconsistent performances, which have already been criticized, are now under even more scrutiny since he signed his huge $9.25 million deal. It’s really hard to judge how well he plays without thinking about how much he gets paid.
Though he has had some good moments in the past few years, where he played hard and helped out with scoring here and there, his performance during the 2025-26 season has been worse than ever. One analyst thinks his game might be beyond saving.
Jason Gregor shared his views on Nurse’s difficulties in a recent episode of The Jason Gregor Show.
Gregor mentioned:
“Get in there and make an effort because right now it feels like you’re not doing much, so at least give it a shot. But honestly, I don’t think it can be fixed. Right now, it’s not like, ‘Okay, I had a rough time, look at Mattias Ekholm who came back from an injury and is doing great now.’ Many other players go through slumps and get out of them. But there isn’t anything there, I’m sorry. It’s just not good enough at all.”
Nurse, who is 31 years old, has scored 20 points (with seven goals and 13 assists) in 60 games this season and has a -11 rating. He is in the fourth year of an eight-year, $74 million deal he signed with the Oilers in 2021, which also has a full no-movement clause until the end of the 2026-27 season.
Darnell Nurse Oilers shrug
Darnell Nurse Oilers
Even though Nurse played well on Thursday in Los Angeles, Gregor is right in saying it hasn’t been enough. If the 6’4, 215-pound defenseman was playing as well as he should for his skill level and salary, Edmonton probably wouldn’t be having so many issues on defense and looking for a strong player before the deadline.
It’s a tough spot for everyone involved, and right now, all the Oilers and their fans can do is hope that the Olympic break helps Nurse improve. If they want to make it to the Stanley Cup Final for the third time in a row—and actually win this time—they really need more from their $9.25 million player.
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