It’s been harped on for years that Edmonton Oilers defenceman Darnell Nurse is overpaid. It’s a running joke among many fan bases in the NHL, while Oilers fans are forced to do nothing other than admit defeat. There has arguably been no bigger whipping boy in Edmonton in recent years than Nurse, who has failed to live up to his eye-popping $9.25 million cap hit. Adding to the bitterness from the fan base is that the deal still has five seasons remaining on it.
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Some have gone as far as to say Nurse has the worst contract in the NHL, while others believe he is only slightly overpaid and wouldn’t be talked about in a negative light if he were making just a few million dollars less. Based on a recent analytics model from The Athletic, those who fall into the latter half may be correct. (from ‘Dom Luszczyszyn: NHL’s 10 worst contracts, 2025 edition: Jonathan Huberdeau, Ivan Provorov and more,’ The Athletic, 07/31/25).
Nurse Deal Not as Bad as Some Think
As they do every year, The Athletic posted a model that ranks the top 10 worst contracts in the NHL. This is a list that Nurse has been on in the past, though it’s worth noting that he’s never been considered the worst contract on the model.
Though it’s been largely forgotten about, considering he struggled yet again in the playoffs, Nurse was actually quite good in 2024-25. In fact, aside from the COVID-shortened 2019-20 season, one could make the argument it was his best season as an NHLer. His offensive numbers were about what you’d expect, with 33 points in 82 games, but it was his defensive play that really stood out. He wasn’t nearly as erratic as we’ve seen at times in the past, and instead relied on the simple play more often than not.
Whether it was in part due to this season or others on big contracts struggling even worse, Nurse was not included on the list of the top 10 worst contracts in the NHL. This list instead included Jonathan Huberdeau, Ivan Provorov, Chandler Stephenson, Brady Skjei, Nicolas Hague, Sean Couturier, Ryan Pulock, Sam Bennett, Cody Ceci, and Tanner Jeannot. Recency bias may have had a slight part in this, as four contracts on the list were signed this offseason.
Nonetheless, five defencemen appeared on the list, and none carry a cap hit higher than Nurse. The closest is Provorov, who signed an extension with the Columbus Blue Jackets that will see him earn $8.5 million over the next seven seasons.
What this goes to show is that, as frustrating as Nurse is to Oilers fans, his contract is no longer as bad as some would like to make you believe. Now, that doesn’t mean it’s good, because it certainly isn’t, but it isn’t the true boat anchor many suggest. It will only continue to hurt less in the years to come as well, as the salary cap is supposed to continue increasing at a rapid rate.
Now, it does need to be mentioned that Nurse didn’t avoid the list by a whole lot. Dom Luszczyszyn, the author of the article, had the Oilers defenceman as one of several players in his honourable mentions list. Those names, in order, were Will Borgen, Brad Marchand, Nurse, Brandon Montour, and Mikael Granlund.
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Still, not being on a very reputable source’s list as one of the worst contracts in the NHL has to feel good for Nurse, who is undoubtedly aware that his contract isn’t viewed in a favourable light. Whether it be from social media, fans, analysts, or even chips from opponents on the ice, he’s certainly heard plenty that he’s among the worst deals in the league. Perhaps another season like he had in 2024-25, and another year not included on the mentioned list, the noise around him having such a bad contract will start to quiet down in a rather dramatic fashion.
