It’s not talked about much, at least not much in mainstream media discussions about the future of the Edmonton Oilers , but one critical factor in Edmonton’s quest for the Stanley Cup is having Darnell Nurse play as well in the playoffs as he does in the regular season.

Instead of raising the level of his play in the May and June, Nurse has struggled three playoff seasons running. At the same time, in the 2024-25 regular season Nurse played as well as he’s ever played in the NHL. He was a steady force on the Oilers blue line, moving the puck well, shutting down top opposing attackers at a reasonable rate. There’s no obvious reason his fast and efficient regular season game shouldn’t translate to playoff hockey. It’s a mystery that it has not. It’s one that both the Oilers and Nurse need

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