Almost every Edmonton Oiler fan knows that defenseman Darnell Nurse is overpaid. He’s a valuable part of the roster and he brings intangibles that make him a meaningful member of the team, but the timing in which he signed his latest extension made him a $9 million-plus blueliner and he hasn’t lived up to the lofty expectations that come with that kind of salary. Recently, he was ranked among the league’s worst contracts, falling in at No. 9 on The Athletic’s list.
In a recent column, Dom Luszczyszyn writes:
Darnell Nurse should be thankful that the model doesn’t include playoff data, otherwise he’d be ranked a lot worse than this. He’s getting franchise defenseman money, was closer to a No. 2 during the regular season — and then looked less than replacement level during Edmonton’s Stanley Cup Final run.
The scribe goes on to say that despite overlooking recent playoff struggles, the contract is still ugly, and at 29, “it probably won’t look better going forward either.”
Why Is Nurse’s Contract Among the Worst in the NHL?
The fact that Nurse was likely never going to be a $9.25 million defenseman was only made worse by the fact the Oilers twice bridged his contract and walked him into a deal at a time when several d-men were getting big money. He was lumped in with the Miro Heiskanen and Dougie Hamilton‘s of the world and he got similar money. At the time of his contract, Nurse was being played as a top defenseman, but he wasn’t one. His agent used the minutes played — despite the fact he was slotted incorrectly — to justify getting his client big money.
The reality is, even if Nurse is considered a top-pair option he’s not worth $9 million or more. In an ideal situation, like the one in which he was used during this recent playoff run, he’s a top-four player. That is worth where the model projects Nurse to be, around $5.9 million per season. In other words, when used correctly, Nurse is worth about $3 million less than he’s making.
The Oilers are either going to have to live with this overpay and realize it’s costing them a solid depth player, or Nurse needs to make a massive step forward. At 30, he’s likely shown what he’s capable of. Oiler fans shouldn’t expect much more out of him than he’s given in the past couple of seasons.
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