WWYDW: Where Should Darnell Nurse Play?
7 years ago
Darnell Nurse is something of a wildcard. The 21-year-old
defenceman had an irregular rookie campaign in which the Edmonton Oilers asked
him to do too much, too quickly after a pretty decent start to his NHL career.
defenceman had an irregular rookie campaign in which the Edmonton Oilers asked
him to do too much, too quickly after a pretty decent start to his NHL career.
In this week’s edition of What Would You Do Wednesday, we
ask how the Oilers’ coaching staff should be planning to use Nurse out of the
gate in 2016-17.
ask how the Oilers’ coaching staff should be planning to use Nurse out of the
gate in 2016-17.
Last Season
To understand the season Nurse just had, it’s important to
look at it in segments. I’ve divvied it up into 10-game chunks. The ice-time
totals are for 5-on-5 play only, and I’ve included Corsi, zone starts, and
regular partners for each 10-game span. As always, a big thanks to Puckalytics
for its SuperWOWY function,
which allows this kind of breakdown.
look at it in segments. I’ve divvied it up into 10-game chunks. The ice-time
totals are for 5-on-5 play only, and I’ve included Corsi, zone starts, and
regular partners for each 10-game span. As always, a big thanks to Puckalytics
for its SuperWOWY function,
which allows this kind of breakdown.
- Games 1-10: 17.4 minutes per game, 50% Corsi, 48% zone start
(Sekera) - Games 11-20: 18.4 minutes per game, 42% Corsi, 47% zone
start (Sekera) - Games 21-30: 19.6 minutes per game, 40% Corsi, 44% zone
start (Sekera/Schultz) - Games 31-40: 17.9 minutes per game, 49% Corsi, 47% zone
start (Schultz) - Games 41-50: 15.0 minutes per game, 49% Corsi, 41% zone
start (Schultz/Fayne) - Games 51-60: 15.7 minutes per game, 47% Corsi, 52% zone
start (Clendening) - Games 61-69: 15.3 minutes per game, 43% Corsi, 48% zone
start (Clendening/Pardy)
When I look at that breakdown, I think a couple of different
things.
things.
The first is with respect to role and quality of competition.
Nurse started well, but his pairing got just slaughtered for a 20-game stretch
from games 11-30. He spent a lot of time with Sekera, played the most 5-on-5
minutes he would play all year, and by memory saw pretty tough competition. We
see the minutes ease off after the 30-game mark and Nurse’s performance bounce
back.
Nurse started well, but his pairing got just slaughtered for a 20-game stretch
from games 11-30. He spent a lot of time with Sekera, played the most 5-on-5
minutes he would play all year, and by memory saw pretty tough competition. We
see the minutes ease off after the 30-game mark and Nurse’s performance bounce
back.
The second is something Ken Holland told Jason Farris in his
book Behind the Moves. I’ve used the
quote before. I don’t have numbers to back up what Holland says, but he’s spent
the last two decades living by it and the Detroit Red Wings have been better at
development than pretty much anyone else over that span and so I tend to trust it:
book Behind the Moves. I’ve used the
quote before. I don’t have numbers to back up what Holland says, but he’s spent
the last two decades living by it and the Detroit Red Wings have been better at
development than pretty much anyone else over that span and so I tend to trust it:
I spent nine years in the American Hockey League … Hartford
would bring all these kids in—and the organizations that I was with in Detroit
and Hartford, they were struggling organizations. The minute a young kid would
play well for six weeks, he’d get [called] up and [provide] a little bit of a
spark [to the parent club] and then six weeks later they would [be sent back]
down and they were just beaten up. The league was too tough. They couldn’t make
a difference. It took you another few weeks, few months to get those players
back to where they [had been] confidence-wise and playing-wise. So from a
player development standpoint—a personal development standpoint—[I learned
that] people are ready when they’re ready and [I learned about] the importance
of building a foundation.
How much of Nurse’s first 10 games was that initial spark that
Holland talked about? I don’t know, and again I don’t have numbers, but he
certainly wouldn’t be the first player to be supercharged early in a call-up
and tail off as it went on.
Holland talked about? I don’t know, and again I don’t have numbers, but he
certainly wouldn’t be the first player to be supercharged early in a call-up
and tail off as it went on.
The encouraging thing? Outside of those last nine games,
Nurse seems to have responded well to decreased minutes.
Nurse seems to have responded well to decreased minutes.
2016-17
It seems logical to assume that Oscar Klefbom and Adam
Larsson will be the Oilers’ first pairing next season, though I suppose an
especially bullish Nurse backer might push for him in that slot.
Larsson will be the Oilers’ first pairing next season, though I suppose an
especially bullish Nurse backer might push for him in that slot.
It’s also a decent bet that Andrej Sekera will anchor
Edmonton’s second pairing. Would you reunite Nurse with Sekera, banking that
with a season of experience under his belt he’ll be able to handle the responsibility?
Edmonton’s second pairing. Would you reunite Nurse with Sekera, banking that
with a season of experience under his belt he’ll be able to handle the responsibility?
Alternatively, would you play him on the third pair? If so,
who would be the right partner for him? The veteran defensive defenceman Mark
Fayne, versatile newcomer Brandon Davidson, or someone else entirely?
who would be the right partner for him? The veteran defensive defenceman Mark
Fayne, versatile newcomer Brandon Davidson, or someone else entirely?
There is, finally, one other option. Nurse can be sent down
to the AHL without clearing waivers, if that’s deemed desirable by the club.
to the AHL without clearing waivers, if that’s deemed desirable by the club.
Where would you play him? Who with?
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