Edmonton Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse acknowledged he needs to elevate his play to help the team reach its Stanley Cup goal.
“Sixty-one games, I think I’m a minus-12 and have 20 points. I’m not happy about that at all,” Nurse told reporters Tuesday. “With that said, if we’re gonna reach the goal that we wanna reach, I gotta step up for sure, and there’s a lot of hockey to be played. I think that’s the excitement, the opportunity, and that’s the accountability. What I owe that to is those guys in the room. That’s it, no one else. Showing up here each and every day and giving everything I have for each guy in there and enjoying it.”
Nurse’s numbers reflect his struggles this season. His minus-12 rating marks his worst since his rookie year in 2015-16.
The 31-year-old is averaging 20:52 of ice time per game. That’s down from 22:22 last season and his lowest average since 2016-17.
Nurse carries a $9.25-million cap hit, which ranks second among Edmonton defensemen behind Evan Bouchard.
The Oilers acquired defenseman Connor Murphy from the Chicago Blackhawks on Monday. The move adds depth to Edmonton’s blue line as they push toward the playoffs.
Edmonton sits 20th in the NHL with a 29-24-8 record. The team reached the Stanley Cup Final last season but lost in seven games.
The Oilers currently hold the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference. They’re only four points behind the Vegas Golden Knights for first place in the Pacific Division.
