| Is Nurse tradable? We need to start this talk... [message #848060] |
Thu, 23 October 2025 21:30  |
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 HamBlaster
Messages: 1361
Registered: June 2007
1 Cup
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It's time. Nurse is awful to start the season and we've seen this guy continue to regress year after year. His contract is nonsense and we need to find a bottom-feeder that has cap room to take him on. I know that we should be trying to use our assets to improve the team through addition... however I think this is a case of addition by subtraction. The small sample size that we have seen of Regula suggests he's far superior to Darnell on the defensive side, and that's what we need. The Oilers have Atro that they can bring up at a far cheaper price.
Time to make the move, Stan. Ship Nurse out.
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NetBOG
Messages: 3083
Registered: January 2006
Location: Parts Unknown
3 Cups
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He’s Connor’s boy, not gonna happen.
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Mike
Messages: 1962
Registered: August 2005
Location: Moncton, New Brunswick
1 Cup
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| NetBOG wrote on Fri, 24 October 2025 07:05 |
He’s Connor’s boy, not gonna happen.
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Connor's loyal, but he's not dumb, and he wants to win. I'm thinking he's starting to see a problem there as well.
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Kr55
Messages: 12552
Registered: May 2002
Location: Edmonton
6 Cups
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Play him at forward. Reverse Brent Burns him. McDrai can play with their boy up front.
"We need to get better immediately. That starts today"
- Lowe, 2013
"Next year I would forecast as another developmental year"
- MacT, 2015
5 x $5,000,000
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 Skookum Jim
Messages: 5859
Registered: March 2006
Location: Burnaby, BC
5 Cups
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| Kr55 wrote on Fri, 24 October 2025 09:55 |
Play him at forward. Reverse Brent Burns him. McDrai can play with their boy up front.
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Wherever he can do less damage.. 👍🏻🙂
McDAVID! Oh YEAH Baby!! (Thank you Lord!)
Tic-Tac-Tao!
Keep on Rockin' in the Free World
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Mike
Messages: 1962
Registered: August 2005
Location: Moncton, New Brunswick
1 Cup
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| Kr55 wrote on Fri, 24 October 2025 13:55 |
Play him at forward. Reverse Brent Burns him. McDrai can play with their boy up front.
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I’ve said that a few times over the years. Seriously, he might be not bad up front. He can skate, pretty strong, decent shot. No chance he would hurt us more than he does now.
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Skookum Jim
Messages: 5859
Registered: March 2006
Location: Burnaby, BC
5 Cups
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Problems with Nurse are he's an Oiler first round draft pick.. he wound up being best friends with your two franchise players McDavid and Draisatl.. and is being paid a franchise player level salary himself..
So even though he's deserved a roster demotion based on poor play.. its never happened.. likely because;
1. Teams always give their first round picks endless chances.. and keep playing them right until the bitter end.. because it reflects very badly on management if your top pick is sitting in the press box, or bottom of the roster..
2. you don't want to irritate your real franchise players by dumping one of their close friends..
3. it looks stupid to pay a player 10% of the team cap to play limited 3rd pair defence.
4. He's got an unmovable contract until 2027.. so you have to keep playing him otherwise he'll have even less market value, and be more untradeable.
Nurse carries a lot of swagger.. I suspect based on draft selection, salary, and hanging out with 97 and 29.. he thinks he's a franchise level player .. and his permeability to coaching has been diminished as a result of it.. bordering on un-coachable.
JMHO :)
McDAVID! Oh YEAH Baby!! (Thank you Lord!)
Tic-Tac-Tao!
Keep on Rockin' in the Free World
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Hibernia
Messages: 190
Registered: October 1998
Location: Sin John's
No Cups
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| HamBlaster wrote on Fri, 24 October 2025 01:00 |
It's time. Nurse is awful to start the season and we've seen this guy continue to regress year after year. His contract is nonsense and we need to find a bottom-feeder that has cap room to take him on. I know that we should be trying to use our assets to improve the team through addition... however I think this is a case of addition by subtraction. The small sample size that we have seen of Regula suggests he's far superior to Darnell on the defensive side, and that's what we need. The Oilers have Atro that they can bring up at a far cheaper price.
Time to make the move, Stan. Ship Nurse out.
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They asked him to waive his No Move Clause this past summer and he declined. Until his NMC changes to a 10-team list for the start of the 2027-28 season, he's not going anywhere unless he wants to be traded.
The only hope to get him traded before then is to treat him like trash and hope he asks to be moved.
What happened to all of my messages? lol (I guess it's been awhile) BlueSky: StefBarnes
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Mike
Messages: 1962
Registered: August 2005
Location: Moncton, New Brunswick
1 Cup
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| Hibernia wrote on Mon, 27 October 2025 09:20 |
| HamBlaster wrote on Fri, 24 October 2025 01:00 |
It's time. Nurse is awful to start the season and we've seen this guy continue to regress year after year. His contract is nonsense and we need to find a bottom-feeder that has cap room to take him on. I know that we should be trying to use our assets to improve the team through addition... however I think this is a case of addition by subtraction. The small sample size that we have seen of Regula suggests he's far superior to Darnell on the defensive side, and that's what we need. The Oilers have Atro that they can bring up at a far cheaper price.
Time to make the move, Stan. Ship Nurse out.
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They asked him to waive his No Move Clause this past summer and he declined. Until his NMC changes to a 10-team list for the start of the 2027-28 season, he's not going anywhere unless he wants to be traded.
The only hope to get him traded before then is to treat him like trash and hope he asks to be moved.
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I know they can't send him to the minors with a NMC, but is there anything preventing them from healthy scratching him? Are there NHLPA rules forbidding that?
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Kr55
Messages: 12552
Registered: May 2002
Location: Edmonton
6 Cups
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| Mike wrote on Mon, 27 October 2025 07:00 |
| Hibernia wrote on Mon, 27 October 2025 09:20 |
| HamBlaster wrote on Fri, 24 October 2025 01:00 |
It's time. Nurse is awful to start the season and we've seen this guy continue to regress year after year. His contract is nonsense and we need to find a bottom-feeder that has cap room to take him on. I know that we should be trying to use our assets to improve the team through addition... however I think this is a case of addition by subtraction. The small sample size that we have seen of Regula suggests he's far superior to Darnell on the defensive side, and that's what we need. The Oilers have Atro that they can bring up at a far cheaper price.
Time to make the move, Stan. Ship Nurse out.
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They asked him to waive his No Move Clause this past summer and he declined. Until his NMC changes to a 10-team list for the start of the 2027-28 season, he's not going anywhere unless he wants to be traded.
The only hope to get him traded before then is to treat him like trash and hope he asks to be moved.
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I know they can't send him to the minors with a NMC, but is there anything preventing them from healthy scratching him? Are there NHLPA rules forbidding that?
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I think Nurse accused the media guy that said he was asked to waive his NMC of being a liar. Posted a "Why you lying?" meme on his Instagram after the "report".
Not sure asking Nurse to waive his NMC is a thing you do unless you are ready to dig your feet in and go all the way. Lots of years left on that deal to create awkwardness, if you can't make a good case and get Nurse to agree the relationship needs to end.
Can sit guys out for sure, but they are taking up a roster spot. That would be quite a confrontation to start.
[Updated on: Mon, 27 October 2025 10:22]
"We need to get better immediately. That starts today"
- Lowe, 2013
"Next year I would forecast as another developmental year"
- MacT, 2015
5 x $5,000,000
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Adam
Messages: 7715
Registered: August 2005
Location: Edmonton, AB
6 Cups
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| Mike wrote on Mon, 27 October 2025 07:00 |
| Hibernia wrote on Mon, 27 October 2025 09:20 |
| HamBlaster wrote on Fri, 24 October 2025 01:00 |
It's time. Nurse is awful to start the season and we've seen this guy continue to regress year after year. His contract is nonsense and we need to find a bottom-feeder that has cap room to take him on. I know that we should be trying to use our assets to improve the team through addition... however I think this is a case of addition by subtraction. The small sample size that we have seen of Regula suggests he's far superior to Darnell on the defensive side, and that's what we need. The Oilers have Atro that they can bring up at a far cheaper price.
Time to make the move, Stan. Ship Nurse out.
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They asked him to waive his No Move Clause this past summer and he declined. Until his NMC changes to a 10-team list for the start of the 2027-28 season, he's not going anywhere unless he wants to be traded.
The only hope to get him traded before then is to treat him like trash and hope he asks to be moved.
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I know they can't send him to the minors with a NMC, but is there anything preventing them from healthy scratching him? Are there NHLPA rules forbidding that?
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Nurse is overpaid but he’s still one of our top 6 defencemen, really one of our top 4. He has to be better. So do a lot of our players but there’s no benching him at this stage.
I do feel that again they have a bit of a Cup Finals hangover. They’re so far away again after being so close. I think that just weighs on the bunch. The top guys all don’t look quite there yet. Just flashes.
I’m willing to give them all some time. Other than the goaltending. We know what we have there and it ain’t good. It needs a change.
"Thinking that a bad team's best players are the reason the team is bad is the "Tambellini re-signing Lennart Petrell" of sports opinions." @Woodguy55
#FireBobbyNicks
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inverno76
Messages: 2540
Registered: September 2005
Location: Prince Albert, Saskatchew...
2 Cups
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| Hibernia wrote on Mon, 27 October 2025 06:20 |
| HamBlaster wrote on Fri, 24 October 2025 01:00 |
It's time. Nurse is awful to start the season and we've seen this guy continue to regress year after year. His contract is nonsense and we need to find a bottom-feeder that has cap room to take him on. I know that we should be trying to use our assets to improve the team through addition... however I think this is a case of addition by subtraction. The small sample size that we have seen of Regula suggests he's far superior to Darnell on the defensive side, and that's what we need. The Oilers have Atro that they can bring up at a far cheaper price.
Time to make the move, Stan. Ship Nurse out.
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They asked him to waive his No Move Clause this past summer and he declined. Until his NMC changes to a 10-team list for the start of the 2027-28 season, he's not going anywhere unless he wants to be traded.
The only hope to get him traded before then is to treat him like trash and hope he asks to be moved.
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I would need clarification about treating Nurse like "trash". Never a best practice for any organization, or business to treat one of their employees like trash, especially when he's tight with the core pieces that drive this team.
Now, having open dialogues with him, expectations and consequences might serve better. Having the entire group understanding that this applies to everyone, and then having discussions with more players who are underperforming should go further. Playing time and the press box should be a viable option for the coach. I wonder if that's the carrot that needs to be dangled in order to reach Darnell?
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HamBlaster
Messages: 1361
Registered: June 2007
1 Cup
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Bump. This guy might end up being one of the biggest reasons why this group has not won a Cup or division title. Nurse has been beyond terrible lately and is unplayable / unwatchable. What is it going to take to bring Darnell's game back to the year before he signed this ridiculously terrible contract?
And if he just continues to regress? What the hell does the team do? He can barely skate out there now, and that was a saving grace for him in the past... he chases the puck all the time, his gap control is awful, he doesn't clear the front of the net, he doesn't try to get down and help the goalie block... he's almost always out of position. Like, WTH Darnell? What happened to you?
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Jakey
Messages: 51
Registered: November 2007
Location: Leduc
No Cups
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Need to tell the agent that if he doesn’t give 3-5 reasonable places he would accept a trade to or Oilers will scratch him routinely and make life extremely difficult next year. They do this by saying they will 100% trade him when his partial trade clause kicks in and he will have almost no say in his destination. This will most likely be done around draft time and Oilers will have to retain some of the cap like Seth Jones trade to Florida. I would guess $2.25 M retained which sucks for us, but necessary to get a trade done. We will still have to take a bad contract back around the $3 M area IMO. So give him away, retain roughly $2 M and take back a $3 M contract. So I think we only gain about $5 M cap out of the $9.25 M. Still good, but this contract will still linger for another 4 yrs after this season.
As far as being McDavid’s buddy. Davo sees what we see and even more. His drive to win will override his friendship and he will fully understand the necessity to move Nurse out asap! He won’t like it, but will be ready to accept it to win a cup.
[Updated on: Sun, 01 March 2026 09:38]
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Kr55
Messages: 12552
Registered: May 2002
Location: Edmonton
6 Cups
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Look how uncomfortable he was when Spector confronted him about his play. It was probably a complete shock to him after being given a pass for terrible play for half a decade straight. I don't want to give the media guys that much kudos though, they may have been told that they are allowed to go after the McDrai ultimate BFF by management now and aren't just doing it because they finally woke up to what a liability this guy is, on the ice and on the cap. The org may finally have had enough and opened the door to calling out Nurse.
"We need to get better immediately. That starts today"
- Lowe, 2013
"Next year I would forecast as another developmental year"
- MacT, 2015
5 x $5,000,000
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inverno76
Messages: 2540
Registered: September 2005
Location: Prince Albert, Saskatchew...
2 Cups
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I’ve been a Nurse apologist forever, but I just can’t right now. Try him at forward ffs. He’s fallen off the edge of an enormous cliff and if he were getting paid 2.5M a year he’d be in the minors.
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Skookum Jim
Messages: 5859
Registered: March 2006
Location: Burnaby, BC
5 Cups
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| inverno76 wrote on Sun, 01 March 2026 12:15 |
I’ve been a Nurse apologist forever, but I just can’t right now. Try him at forward ffs. He’s fallen off the edge of an enormous cliff and if he were getting paid 2.5M a year he’d be in the minors.
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If he didn't have a NMC he'd likely be in the minors
The only way they get positive value out of that immovable player is at forward.. he has less responsibility.. less ice time.. and his abundant mental mistakes less catastrophic as a winger.. add by subtraction.. like you said he's gone off a cliff as a defenceman this year.. and 30 yo.. that's usually a sign of a washed up player.
I don't think I've ever heard him be self critical about his play.. and he's never improved in the off season.. maybe he's un-coachable?
Nurse's limited trade list is in effect after one more season.. I wonder what he'd do if Oilers just sat him? Allow a trade or just watch games?
[Updated on: Sun, 01 March 2026 19:52]
McDAVID! Oh YEAH Baby!! (Thank you Lord!)
Tic-Tac-Tao!
Keep on Rockin' in the Free World
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