Oilers Defenseman to Miss Start of Training Camp

The Edmonton Oilers will kick off training camp without their highest-paid defenseman.

Jun 15, 2024; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; Edmonton Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse (25) celebrates his goal against the Florida Panthers during the second period in game four of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final at Rogers Place. Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-Imagn Images / Sergei Belski-Imagn Images

The Edmonton Oilers are already going to be without forward Evander Kane for a good chunk of the 2024-25 season, but they’ll at least enter camp down another key skater. Veteran defenseman Darnell Nurse is expected to miss the start of Oilers’ training camp with an injury.

According to Oilers analyst Tom Gazzola, Nurse is still dealing with a lingering injury suffered during the team’s run to the Stanley Cup Final. Gazzola states that Nurse should be ready to start the regular season on time and be fully recovered before training camp ends.

Hearing that Evander Kane & Darnell Nurse are expected to start training camp on the shelf due to injury.

Nurse has been on the ice for informal skates & continues to heal up a lingering injury from the playoffs. The projection is he will be good to go later in camp.

— Tom Gazzola (@TomGazzola) September 11, 2024

Nurse has been taking part in informal skates with his teammates, but nothing has been done in an official capacity. It's not clear what kind of injury is nagging Nurse, but it popped up during the Oilers' Stanley Cup Final series against the Florida Panthers.

Despite being a veteran of almost 10 NHL seasons, Nurse was a target of a lot of criticism during the postseason. Nurse appeared in 25 games in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs, but finished a minus-9.

In 81 regular season games, Nurse picked up 10 goals and 22 assists for 32 total points. Not bad from a defenseman, but so much more is expected from the organization’s highest-paid blue liner.

Nurse is about to enter the fourth year of an eight-year deal that earns him $9.25 million annually.

In 640 career games played, Nurse has recorded 76 goals and 191 assists for 267 total points.

Nurse is usually one of the healthiest players on the Oilers roster having rarely missed time in the last few seasons. The team doesn’t expect him to miss any regular season games, but they will want to monitor whatever has lingered an entire offseason.

The Oilers will also need Nurse to find whatever earned him that large contract as they look to get right back to contending for the Cup.

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