On the day the Edmonton Oilers brought Paul Coffey back to coach the defence, Darnell Nurse was leading the blueliners in five-on-five ice time at 18:36 per game, via Natural Stat Trick. Puck IQ had him playing second-pairing minutes versus top opponents. He was averaging just under six minutes per game versus elites, while Mattias Ekholm (the left-handed defenceman on the top pair) was around six and a half minutes per game. The gap between Nurse and the top pair was small, but he was playing those tough minutes away from the Connor McDavid line. That meant a lower goal share, and that’s what fans care about: outscoring the opposition.
The perception of Nurse among many fans is a net negative, driven by his five-on-five goal share (44 percent at five-on-five before Coffey’s arrival).
What doesn’t make headlines is Nurse’s goal suppression. He was averaging 2.72 GA-60 at five-on-five in the pre-Coffey games. That number was the best among Edmonton’s top-four defencemen: Evan Bouchard (2.96 GA-60), Ekholm (2.98 GA-60) and Jake Walman (3.23 GA-60) were all allowing more goals per 60 minutes in the game state.
Nurse was helping deliver a lower GA-60 at five-on-five, while his five-man unit was unable to outscore opponents. Since Coffey returned, Nurse is playing a more physical, rambunctious game, alongside deadline arrival Connor Murphy. Fans love the duo, who play a rugged, physical style. Nurse is at his best when he plays with an edge, and the team has more swagger with the two big men enforcing things from the blue line.
After the Seattle Kraken game on Tuesday, Nurse and Murphy own a GA-60 of 1.75 together. That’ll play.
Shutdown partner
The numbers above suggest Nurse is a strong option defensively inside the Edmonton zone, but the offensive side of the game skews his results in a negative way. Nurse isn’t a strong outlet passer, and while he does transport the puck with speed, he lacks the offensive creativity to make a difference in the offensive zone.
Murphy can make a simple pass and has calm feet defensively, but doesn’t have true puck skill. During the last three seasons (including this one), Nurse has been most effective when on the ice with a puck-moving partner. Here are the numbers for each defensive partner who brings enough offence to be considered a puck mover:
PlayerMinsGoal PctGF-60
583
56
2.26
481
54
3.37
307
58
4.3
All numbers five-on-five, via Natural Stat Trick
In each case, the goal share and the goals per 60 are quality. Bouchard floats all boats, and his partnership with Ekholm has produced 3.41 goals per 60 and a 58 percent goal share in over 3,200 minutes at five-on-five since the fall of 2023. Nurse-Bouchard are similarly impressive. What the numbers for Troy Stecher and Walman show is that the Oilers would do well to find a puck mover who can play with Nurse.
Nurse-Murphy
A shutdown defensive type has worked for Nurse in the past, but the most successful ones have been bona fide NHL veterans who are Nurse’s equal, or close. Here’s a look at two of the most successful players with Nurse over the years, along with Nurse-Murphy numbers so far in Edmonton.
PlayerYearMinsGoal Pct
2016-2019
1153
52
2021-2024
2576
51
2025-2026
171
38
All numbers five-on-five, via Natural Stat Trick
Nurse played tough minutes with Adam Larsson and Cody Ceci and finished on the good side of 50 percent. That’s the template Bowman was following in acquiring Murphy. The initial numbers for Nurse-Murphy are below 50 percent, but it’s a small sample, and the expected goal share (48 percent) is closer to the days of Larsson and Ceci.
Why does the coaching staff value this pairing? Aside from being a rugged combination that can win battles and clear the front of the net, the Oilers surrender very little. The best way to measure a coaching staff’s opinion of a player is time on ice. Nurse and Murphy are logging major minutes.
In the 12 games leading up to the Tuesday night contest versus the Kraken, McDavid and the top pairing spent 120 minutes together with a 53 percent goal share. It’s a high event deployment, allowing 3.24 GA-60, via Natural Stat Trick. During that same period, Nurse-Murphy played just 16 minutes with McDavid. In 137 minutes without the captain, Nurse-Murphy were 2.19 GA-60, successfully keeping the puck out of the Edmonton net at an impressive rate.
What happens next?
Nurse’s past tells us he’s most effective with a puck-moving partner, but his most successful shutdown mates were veterans like Murphy: consistently low GA-60 numbers and a goal share above 50 percent. Bowman wants an ornery pairing who can wear down opponents and keep a clean slate in goals against.
Tuesday night against the Kraken
Nurse is not a classic shutdown defenceman because there is too much chaos in his game. Against the Kraken on Tuesday night, he allowed a clear lane to Jordan Eberle and skated walkabout a couple of times. He also made a strong play on the penalty kill and had three shots on goal. He led the team in five-on-five ice time. Murphy has calm feet, a lot of experience and helps iron out issues created by the chaos Nurse brings. Both men are physical and punish opponents with zeal.
The coaching staff loves this pairing. Fans are thrilled with this version of Nurse. If the duo can find a way to outscore opponents, the Oilers might have two quality pairings who can bring a consistent and effective game.
When Coffey arrived, there were calls to find someone Nurse’s equal to play with the veteran on the second pair. Management eschewed a puck-moving option in favour of a veteran presence with coverage and rugged play as a strength.
First blush looks promising. The forwards will need to outscore without a strong passing option from this tandem. A healthy Walman could still be a factor in the playoffs.