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 Re: Review: Edmonton @ Dallas (Game #64) [message #802840 is a reply to message #802767 ]
Wed, 23 March 2022 22:17 Go to previous messageGo to next message
inverno76  is currently offline inverno76
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Blaming Nurse’s contract reeks of Horcoff bashing. Analytics say Nurse is having a great season (with bad games that every player has), but we disregard the underlying numbers. The same fan base that cries for more analytical stats, disregards them when they are pushed to the forefront.

Nurse is marginally overpaid in the current market. Keith is vastly overpaid in a world of salary retention trades. Give me another dman making 500k too much over any dman making 3M too much.

And anyone who thinks Nurse is the worst top 4 dman in the league clearly has had multiple serious head traumas.

5-1-1 in their last seven and 12-6-2 under Woody. 107 point pace. Calm down people. Oilers PTSD is real.



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 Re: Review: Edmonton @ Dallas (Game #64) [message #802841 is a reply to message #802840 ]
Wed, 23 March 2022 22:39 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Oscargasm  is currently offline Oscargasm
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inverno76 wrote on Wed, 23 March 2022 22:17

Blaming Nurse’s contract reeks of Horcoff bashing. Analytics say Nurse is having a great season (with bad games that every player has), but we disregard the underlying numbers. The same fan base that cries for more analytical stats, disregards them when they are pushed to the forefront.

Nurse is marginally overpaid in the current market. Keith is vastly overpaid in a world of salary retention trades. Give me another dman making 500k too much over any dman making 3M too much.

And anyone who thinks Nurse is the worst top 4 dman in the league clearly has had multiple serious head traumas.

5-1-1 in their last seven and 12-6-2 under Woody. 107 point pace. Calm down people. Oilers PTSD is real.


Nurse at his current cap hit is literally no issue. Heck, Nurse’ cap hit with an additional 1.5M isn’t an issue. The issue becomes next season when he’s a 9.25 cap hit for the inconsistency he has brought throughout his career. The issue is him having an inflated salary worsens the team. Sure, you get to keep Darnell Nurse. But you lose a guy like JP, Yamamoto or Kane. Yes, not getting retention on Keith was a brutal mistake and the oilers are going to feel that pain next year still. But guess what, it’s off the books after that. The Oilers will feel the sting of Nurse’ 9.25 cap hit a lot longer than the pinch of Keith’s 5.5.

One more thing. At any point during Keith’s contract where he’s been a 5.5m cap hit, has he, in your view, earned that? Been worthy of a 5.5 cap hit? It came into effect in 2010 btw.

Keith as a 5.5 cap hit at age 38, the way he plays the game (albeit yes, slower than he has in his past) is better than what I very strongly believe Nurse will bring in his game at age 36 when he is still a 9.25 cap hit.

And yes, I have sustained several concussions throughout my life; the worst of which left me hospitalized for weeks in a coma for two days and a brain bleed that had my parents thinking the worst.

Also, Horcoff’s cap hit was 5.5. For those teams he was part of, you can absolutely live with that. Nurse at 9.25 when you’re effectively in a window, or should be in a window, doesn’t set you up for success bc of his inconsistent play.

[Updated on: Wed, 23 March 2022 22:40]


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 Re: Review: Edmonton @ Dallas (Game #64) [message #802843 is a reply to message #802841 ]
Wed, 23 March 2022 23:00 Go to previous messageGo to next message
inverno76  is currently offline inverno76
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Oscargasm wrote on Wed, 23 March 2022 22:39

inverno76 wrote on Wed, 23 March 2022 22:17

Blaming Nurse’s contract reeks of Horcoff bashing. Analytics say Nurse is having a great season (with bad games that every player has), but we disregard the underlying numbers. The same fan base that cries for more analytical stats, disregards them when they are pushed to the forefront.

Nurse is marginally overpaid in the current market. Keith is vastly overpaid in a world of salary retention trades. Give me another dman making 500k too much over any dman making 3M too much.

And anyone who thinks Nurse is the worst top 4 dman in the league clearly has had multiple serious head traumas.

5-1-1 in their last seven and 12-6-2 under Woody. 107 point pace. Calm down people. Oilers PTSD is real.


Nurse at his current cap hit is literally no issue. Heck, Nurse’ cap hit with an additional 1.5M isn’t an issue. The issue becomes next season when he’s a 9.25 cap hit for the inconsistency he has brought throughout his career. The issue is him having an inflated salary worsens the team. Sure, you get to keep Darnell Nurse. But you lose a guy like JP, Yamamoto or Kane. Yes, not getting retention on Keith was a brutal mistake and the oilers are going to feel that pain next year still. But guess what, it’s off the books after that. The Oilers will feel the sting of Nurse’ 9.25 cap hit a lot longer than the pinch of Keith’s 5.5.

One more thing. At any point during Keith’s contract where he’s been a 5.5m cap hit, has he, in your view, earned that? Been worthy of a 5.5 cap hit? It came into effect in 2010 btw.

Keith as a 5.5 cap hit at age 38, the way he plays the game (albeit yes, slower than he has in his past) is better than what I very strongly believe Nurse will bring in his game at age 36 when he is still a 9.25 cap hit.

And yes, I have sustained several concussions throughout my life; the worst of which left me hospitalized for weeks in a coma for two days and a brain bleed that had my parents thinking the worst.

Also, Horcoff’s cap hit was 5.5. For those teams he was part of, you can absolutely live with that. Nurse at 9.25 when you’re effectively in a window, or should be in a window, doesn’t set you up for success bc of his inconsistent play.


I’d argue a 2022 9.25M deal cap wise for a top pair dman is better deal than a 2010 5.5M deal cap percentage wise. I’ll give you Keith was undeniably all-world during that time.

The problem going into this season was Koskinen’s inflated deal, Smith’s inflated deal, Kassian’s inflated deal, no retention on Keith, and the dead money sitting in Cap purgatory.

Nurse was overpaid, but he was never going to be re-signed for 7M. When they decided to bridge him, that window closed. That shipped sailed. Like you said in another post. The problem comes from the top, and that’s in the POHO and GM’s. Current and past. Nurse struck at an opportune time. Can’t blame the guy. He’s night in and night out our best defender.

[Updated on: Wed, 23 March 2022 23:03]


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 Re: Review: Edmonton @ Dallas (Game #64) [message #802850 is a reply to message #802843 ]
Thu, 24 March 2022 08:17 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Oscargasm  is currently offline Oscargasm
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inverno76 wrote on Wed, 23 March 2022 23:00

Oscargasm wrote on Wed, 23 March 2022 22:39

inverno76 wrote on Wed, 23 March 2022 22:17

Blaming Nurse’s contract reeks of Horcoff bashing. Analytics say Nurse is having a great season (with bad games that every player has), but we disregard the underlying numbers. The same fan base that cries for more analytical stats, disregards them when they are pushed to the forefront.

Nurse is marginally overpaid in the current market. Keith is vastly overpaid in a world of salary retention trades. Give me another dman making 500k too much over any dman making 3M too much.

And anyone who thinks Nurse is the worst top 4 dman in the league clearly has had multiple serious head traumas.

5-1-1 in their last seven and 12-6-2 under Woody. 107 point pace. Calm down people. Oilers PTSD is real.


Nurse at his current cap hit is literally no issue. Heck, Nurse’ cap hit with an additional 1.5M isn’t an issue. The issue becomes next season when he’s a 9.25 cap hit for the inconsistency he has brought throughout his career. The issue is him having an inflated salary worsens the team. Sure, you get to keep Darnell Nurse. But you lose a guy like JP, Yamamoto or Kane. Yes, not getting retention on Keith was a brutal mistake and the oilers are going to feel that pain next year still. But guess what, it’s off the books after that. The Oilers will feel the sting of Nurse’ 9.25 cap hit a lot longer than the pinch of Keith’s 5.5.

One more thing. At any point during Keith’s contract where he’s been a 5.5m cap hit, has he, in your view, earned that? Been worthy of a 5.5 cap hit? It came into effect in 2010 btw.

Keith as a 5.5 cap hit at age 38, the way he plays the game (albeit yes, slower than he has in his past) is better than what I very strongly believe Nurse will bring in his game at age 36 when he is still a 9.25 cap hit.

And yes, I have sustained several concussions throughout my life; the worst of which left me hospitalized for weeks in a coma for two days and a brain bleed that had my parents thinking the worst.

Also, Horcoff’s cap hit was 5.5. For those teams he was part of, you can absolutely live with that. Nurse at 9.25 when you’re effectively in a window, or should be in a window, doesn’t set you up for success bc of his inconsistent play.


I’d argue a 2022 9.25M deal cap wise for a top pair dman is better deal than a 2010 5.5M deal cap percentage wise. I’ll give you Keith was undeniably all-world during that time.

The problem going into this season was Koskinen’s inflated deal, Smith’s inflated deal, Kassian’s inflated deal, no retention on Keith, and the dead money sitting in Cap purgatory.

Nurse was overpaid, but he was never going to be re-signed for 7M. When they decided to bridge him, that window closed. That shipped sailed. Like you said in another post. The problem comes from the top, and that’s in the POHO and GM’s. Current and past. Nurse struck at an opportune time. Can’t blame the guy. He’s night in and night out our best defender.



Definitely not blaming Nurse for his jumping on the train when 9M was the going rate. But if he truly believes he is that level of player, then he’s gotta BE that level of player. And to be fair, being the Oilers best defender isn’t saying much.



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 Re: Review: Edmonton @ Dallas (Game #64) [message #802844 is a reply to message #802841 ]
Wed, 23 March 2022 23:12 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Skookum Jim  is currently offline Skookum Jim
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Oscargasm wrote on Wed, 23 March 2022 21:39

..The issue becomes next season when he’s a 9.25 cap hit for the inconsistency he has brought throughout his career. The issue is him having an inflated salary worsens the team. Sure, you get to keep Darnell Nurse. But you lose a guy like JP, Yamamoto or Kane. Yes, not getting retention on Keith was a brutal mistake and the oilers are going to feel that pain next year still. But guess what, it’s off the books after that. The Oilers will feel the sting of Nurse’ 9.25 cap hit a lot longer than the pinch of Keith’s 5.5.

One more thing. At any point during Keith’s contract where he’s been a 5.5m cap hit, has he, in your view, earned that? Been worthy of a 5.5 cap hit? It came into effect in 2010 btw.


That's exactly right. Its not the extra 1.5M Nurse gets.. its the 1.5M you don't have to keep good players and turn the team into a contender.
The problem is that salary is super high, and his game is too inconsistent, he makes way too many Grade A mistakes that loses games.. he's not elite defensively.. and not elite offensively..
He sold himself to the Oilers as an elite player, which deserved elite money.. but hasn't really played at an elite level.. IMO he deserves the criticism he gets.. He squeezed out every last dollar he could out of the Oilers. McDavid took a contract below his market value so he could win. Nurse did not.



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 Re: Review: Edmonton @ Dallas (Game #64) [message #802849 is a reply to message #802844 ]
Thu, 24 March 2022 07:37 Go to previous messageGo to next message
inverno76  is currently offline inverno76
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Skookum Jim wrote on Wed, 23 March 2022 23:12

Oscargasm wrote on Wed, 23 March 2022 21:39

..The issue becomes next season when he’s a 9.25 cap hit for the inconsistency he has brought throughout his career. The issue is him having an inflated salary worsens the team. Sure, you get to keep Darnell Nurse. But you lose a guy like JP, Yamamoto or Kane. Yes, not getting retention on Keith was a brutal mistake and the oilers are going to feel that pain next year still. But guess what, it’s off the books after that. The Oilers will feel the sting of Nurse’ 9.25 cap hit a lot longer than the pinch of Keith’s 5.5.

One more thing. At any point during Keith’s contract where he’s been a 5.5m cap hit, has he, in your view, earned that? Been worthy of a 5.5 cap hit? It came into effect in 2010 btw.


That's exactly right. Its not the extra 1.5M Nurse gets.. its the 1.5M you don't have to keep good players and turn the team into a contender.
The problem is that salary is super high, and his game is too inconsistent, he makes way too many Grade A mistakes that loses games.. he's not elite defensively.. and not elite offensively..
He sold himself to the Oilers as an elite player, which deserved elite money.. but hasn't really played at an elite level.. IMO he deserves the criticism he gets.. He squeezed out every last dollar he could out of the Oilers. McDavid took a contract below his market value so he could win. Nurse did not.


It appears that 9M plus is no longer elite status for UFA’s or approaching to UFA. Would 5 more years at 7.575M for a 32 year old Spurgeon be a better deal? What’s Morgan Reilly going to sign for?

Almost all of the decent Dman contracts were teams who gambled and bought long-term over taking the cheaper bridge deal. Very few contract comparables out there at the 6.5M-7.M range that people want. Seems like a position of overpay.

Team wants cap flexibility. Stop overpaying bottom 6 players, 5-7 dmen, aging out veterans, and mediocre goalies. Win a deal where we move out money for picks.




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 Re: Review: Edmonton @ Dallas (Game #64) [message #802851 is a reply to message #802849 ]
Thu, 24 March 2022 08:20 Go to previous messageGo to next message
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inverno76 wrote on Thu, 24 March 2022 07:37

Skookum Jim wrote on Wed, 23 March 2022 23:12

Oscargasm wrote on Wed, 23 March 2022 21:39

..The issue becomes next season when he’s a 9.25 cap hit for the inconsistency he has brought throughout his career. The issue is him having an inflated salary worsens the team. Sure, you get to keep Darnell Nurse. But you lose a guy like JP, Yamamoto or Kane. Yes, not getting retention on Keith was a brutal mistake and the oilers are going to feel that pain next year still. But guess what, it’s off the books after that. The Oilers will feel the sting of Nurse’ 9.25 cap hit a lot longer than the pinch of Keith’s 5.5.

One more thing. At any point during Keith’s contract where he’s been a 5.5m cap hit, has he, in your view, earned that? Been worthy of a 5.5 cap hit? It came into effect in 2010 btw.


That's exactly right. Its not the extra 1.5M Nurse gets.. its the 1.5M you don't have to keep good players and turn the team into a contender.
The problem is that salary is super high, and his game is too inconsistent, he makes way too many Grade A mistakes that loses games.. he's not elite defensively.. and not elite offensively..
He sold himself to the Oilers as an elite player, which deserved elite money.. but hasn't really played at an elite level.. IMO he deserves the criticism he gets.. He squeezed out every last dollar he could out of the Oilers. McDavid took a contract below his market value so he could win. Nurse did not.


It appears that 9M plus is no longer elite status for UFA’s or approaching to UFA. Would 5 more years at 7.575M for a 32 year old Spurgeon be a better deal? What’s Morgan Reilly going to sign for?

Almost all of the decent Dman contracts were teams who gambled and bought long-term over taking the cheaper bridge deal. Very few contract comparables out there at the 6.5M-7.M range that people want. Seems like a position of overpay.

Team wants cap flexibility. Stop overpaying bottom 6 players, 5-7 dmen, aging out veterans, and mediocre goalies. Win a deal where we move out money for picks.




I would argue to arguably paying a career 2-4 dman number 1 money solely bc he is your de facto number 1. A position that was held by a 4.2ish cap hit in Klefbom who was infinitely more consistent than Darnell has ever been.



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 Re: Review: Edmonton @ Dallas (Game #64) [message #802855 is a reply to message #802849 ]
Thu, 24 March 2022 08:38 Go to previous messageGo to next message
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inverno76 wrote on Thu, 24 March 2022 07:37

Skookum Jim wrote on Wed, 23 March 2022 23:12

Oscargasm wrote on Wed, 23 March 2022 21:39

..The issue becomes next season when he’s a 9.25 cap hit for the inconsistency he has brought throughout his career. The issue is him having an inflated salary worsens the team. Sure, you get to keep Darnell Nurse. But you lose a guy like JP, Yamamoto or Kane. Yes, not getting retention on Keith was a brutal mistake and the oilers are going to feel that pain next year still. But guess what, it’s off the books after that. The Oilers will feel the sting of Nurse’ 9.25 cap hit a lot longer than the pinch of Keith’s 5.5.

One more thing. At any point during Keith’s contract where he’s been a 5.5m cap hit, has he, in your view, earned that? Been worthy of a 5.5 cap hit? It came into effect in 2010 btw.


That's exactly right. Its not the extra 1.5M Nurse gets.. its the 1.5M you don't have to keep good players and turn the team into a contender.
The problem is that salary is super high, and his game is too inconsistent, he makes way too many Grade A mistakes that loses games.. he's not elite defensively.. and not elite offensively..
He sold himself to the Oilers as an elite player, which deserved elite money.. but hasn't really played at an elite level.. IMO he deserves the criticism he gets.. He squeezed out every last dollar he could out of the Oilers. McDavid took a contract below his market value so he could win. Nurse did not.


It appears that 9M plus is no longer elite status for UFA’s or approaching to UFA. Would 5 more years at 7.575M for a 32 year old Spurgeon be a better deal? What’s Morgan Reilly going to sign for?

Almost all of the decent Dman contracts were teams who gambled and bought long-term over taking the cheaper bridge deal. Very few contract comparables out there at the 6.5M-7.M range that people want. Seems like a position of overpay.

Team wants cap flexibility. Stop overpaying bottom 6 players, 5-7 dmen, aging out veterans, and mediocre goalies. Win a deal where we move out money for picks.



I 100% agree with your post especially your last couple of sentences.

Nurse is the Oilers #1 dman and he's being paid to that. Just my opinion but if Nurse went to a whole pile of teams in the NHL, he would be their #1 dman.

What do you want your #1 dman to do?
Play a lot. He does that.
Skate well. He does that.
Move the puck. He does that. Also rushes the puck as well as pass it.
Play good defense. He does that and has the advanced numbers to back that up.
Make his partner better. He does that.
Plays against other teams elites and does well. He does that and has the numbers to back it up.
Plays in all situations. He plays a ton 5 on 5, plays on the PK, can play PP.
Scores points. He does that. He's one of the better 5 on 5 scoring dmen in the league and he's a lock to get your 35+ pts. If he was on the PP all year, he'd score even more.

Then on top of that he's a leader, good in the room, community guy, tough, physical and mean.
Before it was cancelled, he was going to the Canadian Olympic team camp and there was talk he had a good chance of making it.

I do not understand the hate this guy gets. Every time he has come up for a new contract, fans have done nothing but bash the guy. When he signed his 2 year, 5.6 mill bridge, people thought it was too much. It was floated a long term deal could be out there at around 7 and some fans lost their minds telling everyone how terrible he is. Now everyone thinks high 7's would be an amazing contract for him which 2 yrs ago, fans thought was the worst idea ever.

Expecting perfection from a player is ridiculous especially for a guy that plays as much as he does. Expecting that he won't ever have an off night is ridiculous. In my opinion, I think there is a segment of the fans who for whatever reason don't like him and will only focus on the small negative that happens once in a while. He could do 99 great plays but if that 1 bad one happens, they focus on that play and deem him terrible. No matter what he does, he in their minds is a flawed dman and they will completely ignore all the overwhelming evidence that he is a very good dman who's extremely critical to the Oilers success.

I think it's sad really.



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 Re: Review: Edmonton @ Dallas (Game #64) [message #802857 is a reply to message #802855 ]
Thu, 24 March 2022 08:48 Go to previous messageGo to next message
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RDOilerfan wrote on Thu, 24 March 2022 08:38

inverno76 wrote on Thu, 24 March 2022 07:37

Skookum Jim wrote on Wed, 23 March 2022 23:12

Oscargasm wrote on Wed, 23 March 2022 21:39

..The issue becomes next season when he’s a 9.25 cap hit for the inconsistency he has brought throughout his career. The issue is him having an inflated salary worsens the team. Sure, you get to keep Darnell Nurse. But you lose a guy like JP, Yamamoto or Kane. Yes, not getting retention on Keith was a brutal mistake and the oilers are going to feel that pain next year still. But guess what, it’s off the books after that. The Oilers will feel the sting of Nurse’ 9.25 cap hit a lot longer than the pinch of Keith’s 5.5.

One more thing. At any point during Keith’s contract where he’s been a 5.5m cap hit, has he, in your view, earned that? Been worthy of a 5.5 cap hit? It came into effect in 2010 btw.


That's exactly right. Its not the extra 1.5M Nurse gets.. its the 1.5M you don't have to keep good players and turn the team into a contender.
The problem is that salary is super high, and his game is too inconsistent, he makes way too many Grade A mistakes that loses games.. he's not elite defensively.. and not elite offensively..
He sold himself to the Oilers as an elite player, which deserved elite money.. but hasn't really played at an elite level.. IMO he deserves the criticism he gets.. He squeezed out every last dollar he could out of the Oilers. McDavid took a contract below his market value so he could win. Nurse did not.


It appears that 9M plus is no longer elite status for UFA’s or approaching to UFA. Would 5 more years at 7.575M for a 32 year old Spurgeon be a better deal? What’s Morgan Reilly going to sign for?

Almost all of the decent Dman contracts were teams who gambled and bought long-term over taking the cheaper bridge deal. Very few contract comparables out there at the 6.5M-7.M range that people want. Seems like a position of overpay.

Team wants cap flexibility. Stop overpaying bottom 6 players, 5-7 dmen, aging out veterans, and mediocre goalies. Win a deal where we move out money for picks.



I 100% agree with your post especially your last couple of sentences.

Nurse is the Oilers #1 dman and he's being paid to that. Just my opinion but if Nurse went to a whole pile of teams in the NHL, he would be their #1 dman.

What do you want your #1 dman to do?
Play a lot. He does that.
Skate well. He does that.
Move the puck. He does that. Also rushes the puck as well as pass it.
Play good defense. He does that and has the advanced numbers to back that up.
Make his partner better. He does that.
Plays against other teams elites and does well. He does that and has the numbers to back it up.
Plays in all situations. He plays a ton 5 on 5, plays on the PK, can play PP.
Scores points. He does that. He's one of the better 5 on 5 scoring dmen in the league and he's a lock to get your 35+ pts. If he was on the PP all year, he'd score even more.

Then on top of that he's a leader, good in the room, community guy, tough, physical and mean.
Before it was cancelled, he was going to the Canadian Olympic team camp and there was talk he had a good chance of making it.

I do not understand the hate this guy gets. Every time he has come up for a new contract, fans have done nothing but bash the guy. When he signed his 2 year, 5.6 mill bridge, people thought it was too much. It was floated a long term deal could be out there at around 7 and some fans lost their minds telling everyone how terrible he is. Now everyone thinks high 7's would be an amazing contract for him which 2 yrs ago, fans thought was the worst idea ever.

Expecting perfection from a player is ridiculous especially for a guy that plays as much as he does. Expecting that he won't ever have an off night is ridiculous. In my opinion, I think there is a segment of the fans who for whatever reason don't like him and will only focus on the small negative that happens once in a while. He could do 99 great plays but if that 1 bad one happens, they focus on that play and deem him terrible. No matter what he does, he in their minds is a flawed dman and they will completely ignore all the overwhelming evidence that he is a very good dman who's extremely critical to the Oilers success.

I think it's sad really.


Oh I like Darnell. I just don’t think he’s a true number one. He’s a de facto number one for the Oilers bc Klefbom’s injury and there’s no one else. If he was as smart on the ice as he seemingly was to exploit his contract opportunity then I think there would be an argument that he can be a true number one. But until his hockey smarts and own accountability improve, he won’t be a true number one. He’s definitely paid as one, but he’s forced into a role above his head which again is an Oiler thing to do with their poor management



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 Re: Review: Edmonton @ Dallas (Game #64) [message #802858 is a reply to message #802857 ]
Thu, 24 March 2022 09:07 Go to previous message
RDOilerfan  is currently offline RDOilerfan
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Oscargasm wrote on Thu, 24 March 2022 08:48

RDOilerfan wrote on Thu, 24 March 2022 08:38

inverno76 wrote on Thu, 24 March 2022 07:37

Skookum Jim wrote on Wed, 23 March 2022 23:12

Oscargasm wrote on Wed, 23 March 2022 21:39

..The issue becomes next season when he’s a 9.25 cap hit for the inconsistency he has brought throughout his career. The issue is him having an inflated salary worsens the team. Sure, you get to keep Darnell Nurse. But you lose a guy like JP, Yamamoto or Kane. Yes, not getting retention on Keith was a brutal mistake and the oilers are going to feel that pain next year still. But guess what, it’s off the books after that. The Oilers will feel the sting of Nurse’ 9.25 cap hit a lot longer than the pinch of Keith’s 5.5.

One more thing. At any point during Keith’s contract where he’s been a 5.5m cap hit, has he, in your view, earned that? Been worthy of a 5.5 cap hit? It came into effect in 2010 btw.


That's exactly right. Its not the extra 1.5M Nurse gets.. its the 1.5M you don't have to keep good players and turn the team into a contender.
The problem is that salary is super high, and his game is too inconsistent, he makes way too many Grade A mistakes that loses games.. he's not elite defensively.. and not elite offensively..
He sold himself to the Oilers as an elite player, which deserved elite money.. but hasn't really played at an elite level.. IMO he deserves the criticism he gets.. He squeezed out every last dollar he could out of the Oilers. McDavid took a contract below his market value so he could win. Nurse did not.


It appears that 9M plus is no longer elite status for UFA’s or approaching to UFA. Would 5 more years at 7.575M for a 32 year old Spurgeon be a better deal? What’s Morgan Reilly going to sign for?

Almost all of the decent Dman contracts were teams who gambled and bought long-term over taking the cheaper bridge deal. Very few contract comparables out there at the 6.5M-7.M range that people want. Seems like a position of overpay.

Team wants cap flexibility. Stop overpaying bottom 6 players, 5-7 dmen, aging out veterans, and mediocre goalies. Win a deal where we move out money for picks.



I 100% agree with your post especially your last couple of sentences.

Nurse is the Oilers #1 dman and he's being paid to that. Just my opinion but if Nurse went to a whole pile of teams in the NHL, he would be their #1 dman.

What do you want your #1 dman to do?
Play a lot. He does that.
Skate well. He does that.
Move the puck. He does that. Also rushes the puck as well as pass it.
Play good defense. He does that and has the advanced numbers to back that up.
Make his partner better. He does that.
Plays against other teams elites and does well. He does that and has the numbers to back it up.
Plays in all situations. He plays a ton 5 on 5, plays on the PK, can play PP.
Scores points. He does that. He's one of the better 5 on 5 scoring dmen in the league and he's a lock to get your 35+ pts. If he was on the PP all year, he'd score even more.

Then on top of that he's a leader, good in the room, community guy, tough, physical and mean.
Before it was cancelled, he was going to the Canadian Olympic team camp and there was talk he had a good chance of making it.

I do not understand the hate this guy gets. Every time he has come up for a new contract, fans have done nothing but bash the guy. When he signed his 2 year, 5.6 mill bridge, people thought it was too much. It was floated a long term deal could be out there at around 7 and some fans lost their minds telling everyone how terrible he is. Now everyone thinks high 7's would be an amazing contract for him which 2 yrs ago, fans thought was the worst idea ever.

Expecting perfection from a player is ridiculous especially for a guy that plays as much as he does. Expecting that he won't ever have an off night is ridiculous. In my opinion, I think there is a segment of the fans who for whatever reason don't like him and will only focus on the small negative that happens once in a while. He could do 99 great plays but if that 1 bad one happens, they focus on that play and deem him terrible. No matter what he does, he in their minds is a flawed dman and they will completely ignore all the overwhelming evidence that he is a very good dman who's extremely critical to the Oilers success.

I think it's sad really.


Oh I like Darnell. I just don’t think he’s a true number one. He’s a de facto number one for the Oilers bc Klefbom’s injury and there’s no one else. If he was as smart on the ice as he seemingly was to exploit his contract opportunity then I think there would be an argument that he can be a true number one. But until his hockey smarts and own accountability improve, he won’t be a true number one. He’s definitely paid as one, but he’s forced into a role above his head which again is an Oiler thing to do with their poor management

How many #1 dmen are then in the league then in your eyes, 4 or 5? I just outlined everything Nurse does and that would be in the qualifications for what a "#1" does. When you get consideration for the Canadian Olympic team, that usually means you are a pretty damn good dman does it not?

I liked Klefbom a lot but if he was healthy, it'd be a little surprised if he made Sweden's team.

How do you feel about Hedman? I assume you deem him as a "#1". He made a bad read and got absolutely walked like you see rookies get by McD that resulted in a goal a week and a bit ago. That was a big mistake on his part so what are your thoughts on him because that was a goal causing mistake by a guy who should be perfect shouldn't he?

I am not looking to get into a big argument about the guy. You are entitled to your opinion that is shared by others. I don't think it's realistic to expect perfection by a player but people can expect that I guess.

I would like Nurse to make less too but the Oilers slow played him for a long time kicking that contract down the road rather roll the dice and jump on a long term early like they did with Klefbom and they got caught so now they are playing market value for Nurse which is too bad. I would also like McD to make a little less than the 12.5 mill he makes. He's making what 2 good top 6 players makes so in my mind, he needs to produce the equivalent of 2 players and when he doesn't, it doesn't look good to me. Then when I compare McD and Leon, is McD 4 mill better than Leon? With Leon and his scoring title, hart, probably going to put up another 50 goal season and only being a few points back from McD for the scoring lead, the answer is NOPE. I would like Nuge to make a little less. 5.125 mill for a guy who now looks like the Oilers 3rd line center, who only has 7 goals this year and who's production is severely propped up from PP points doesn't make me as happy as I would like.

[Updated on: Thu, 24 March 2022 09:18]


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 Re: Review: Edmonton @ Dallas (Game #64) [message #802854 is a reply to message #802844 ]
Thu, 24 March 2022 08:33 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Mike  is currently offline Mike
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Skookum Jim wrote on Thu, 24 March 2022 02:12

That's exactly right. Its not the extra 1.5M Nurse gets.. its the 1.5M you don't have to keep good players and turn the team into a contender.
The problem is that salary is super high, and his game is too inconsistent, he makes way too many Grade A mistakes that loses games.. he's not elite defensively.. and not elite offensively..
He sold himself to the Oilers as an elite player, which deserved elite money.. but hasn't really played at an elite level.. IMO he deserves the criticism he gets.. He squeezed out every last dollar he could out of the Oilers. McDavid took a contract below his market value so he could win. Nurse did not.


All that is compounded by a GM that doesn't know how to make the system work for him. Imagine if he would have gotten Chicago to retain 50% like almost everyone expected. And then instead of buying out James Neal, pay someone like the Coyotes or Senators a draft pick or two to take him. And back in 2019, that Sekera buyout was dumb. Send him somewhere with 50% retained, or keep him - we had some space IIRC. He was no longer a top pairing guy if he ever was, but the cost of the buyout plus the replacement made no sense.

So between what should have been retained for Keith ($2.7m) and the dead cap for Neal and Sekera ($3.5m), that's $6.2M. That gets you a decent player..

With Neal we have 3 more years of almost $2M wasted. Can't imagine paying a prospect and/or pick to have someone take him wouldn't have been better - the time is now. I'll take $2M in cap space for 4 years before a 2nd or 3rd round pick. If I was in a rebuild with cap room, sure I would take some assets to take your bloated contract off your hands.



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 Re: Review: Edmonton @ Dallas (Game #64) [message #802856 is a reply to message #802854 ]
Thu, 24 March 2022 08:41 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Oscargasm  is currently offline Oscargasm
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Mike wrote on Thu, 24 March 2022 08:33

Skookum Jim wrote on Thu, 24 March 2022 02:12

That's exactly right. Its not the extra 1.5M Nurse gets.. its the 1.5M you don't have to keep good players and turn the team into a contender.
The problem is that salary is super high, and his game is too inconsistent, he makes way too many Grade A mistakes that loses games.. he's not elite defensively.. and not elite offensively..
He sold himself to the Oilers as an elite player, which deserved elite money.. but hasn't really played at an elite level.. IMO he deserves the criticism he gets.. He squeezed out every last dollar he could out of the Oilers. McDavid took a contract below his market value so he could win. Nurse did not.


All that is compounded by a GM that doesn't know how to make the system work for him. Imagine if he would have gotten Chicago to retain 50% like almost everyone expected. And then instead of buying out James Neal, pay someone like the Coyotes or Senators a draft pick or two to take him. And back in 2019, that Sekera buyout was dumb. Send him somewhere with 50% retained, or keep him - we had some space IIRC. He was no longer a top pairing guy if he ever was, but the cost of the buyout plus the replacement made no sense.

So between what should have been retained for Keith ($2.7m) and the dead cap for Neal and Sekera ($3.5m), that's $6.2M. That gets you a decent player..

With Neal we have 3 more years of almost $2M wasted. Can't imagine paying a prospect and/or pick to have someone take him wouldn't have been better - the time is now. I'll take $2M in cap space for 4 years before a 2nd or 3rd round pick. If I was in a rebuild with cap room, sure I would take some assets to take your bloated contract off your hands.


100% agree Mike.

It’s just bad deal after bad deal. Paying too much at the top is just as bad as paying too much at the bottom. Paying to have guys NOT play for you, yet being so ignorant in the fact that you can get teams to pay for guys to play for you. It’s inept management. It’s seemingly the Oiler way.

Also, I know I’m beating a dead horse here but just one more thing on the Nurse inflation. When Drai signed his current deal, everyone thought HOLY HECK(!!) but he was young enough to trade strides and make that deal an absolute bargain. I’d like someone to convince me Nurse can and will elevate his game to the level expected from his next contract.



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