Draisaitl Defends Key Blueliner Amid Media Bandwagon Jumping

Leon Draisaitl has had enough of the criticism surrounding Edmonton Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse. Following the Oilers’ recent win over the Tampa Bay Lightning, Draisaitl defended his teammate after the media tried to hop on the Nurse bandwagon, calling for more recognition of Nurse’s improved play.

Nurse is often the whipping boy in Edmonton because of the size of his contract. It’s not necessarily fair, even if some of the criticism in the past has been justified. But, Draisaitl believes that when Nurse plays well — which is often — he should get more love from reporters, who often overlook his contributions.

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“You guys should talk about him more,” Draisaitl told the media. “He is really, really, really good. High-end. You guys are really hard on him sometimes. He’s maybe our best D for a while now.”

Nurse Has Found His Game This Season With the Oilers

Nurse’s performance has certainly turned a corner after a rough start to the season. Early on, his struggles were evident at even strength, where he managed just a 25% on-ice goal share through the first ten games. Opponents routinely outshot and out-chanced the Oilers with Nurse on the ice.

Since November, however, Nurse has elevated his game. Against the Lightning, his calm puck decisions set the stage for Connor McDavid’s opening goal, showcasing Nurse’s ability to maintain possession under pressure. Nurse also contributed to Draisaitl’s unassisted game-winner with a perfectly placed stretch pass.

His defensive play has tightened significantly.

All of this came around when he returned from injury after taking a nasty hit from Ryan Reaves. Perhaps the two things are connected. Perhaps they aren’t. Either way, the Oilers are thrilled this version of Nurse is back.

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