Saying he feels good and he’s been able to take part in all of the on-ice sessions with the Edmonton Oilers in camp and pre-season, defenseman Darnell Nurse is hoping he’ll get into a couple of games before the regular season starts. He’s not sure he will, calling the situation fluid.
Nurse has been kept out of the Oilers’ lineup for precautionary reasons. Dealing with a short offseason and nagging issues from last season’s playoff run, he’s not quite 100%, at least when it comes to the unpredictability of regular season games.
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“There’s elements of the game that ramp up in games. You get the physical aspect of practice in camp, which I’ve been fully involved in and those are usually set up in a way that, you know it’s predictable, where people are coming from and contact is coming from and whatnot.”
He added, “Games are a little more unpredictable.”
Nurse says he’s taken a lot of positive steps in camp and he should be good to go for the regular season, even though he wouldn’t dive into the specifics of his injury. He says he doesn’t feel like he’s missed anything and with the volume of time he’s spent getting his reps in, he’s making the most of his time on the ice. “I felt like I’ve maximized that.”
Nurse Isn’t Worried Ahead of Return to Oilers
He was asked about who he might play with when he returns, Nurse did admit that his d-core is a little different. “I think that’s probably an adjustment for everyone.” When asked if getting into the pre-season games would be a big deal to get some time with whomever his playing partner might be, he responded, “It’s not a big deal… It’s not the end-all-be-all.” He noted that the best way to help his partner would be to be the best version of himself that he can be. “I just want to be myself and be capable of playing the way I can play.”
He was asked who would make the decision to return to the ice, he noted that the Oilers’ training staff was second to none and they would have conversations.
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