Oilers sign Darnell Nurse to bridge contract

The brief standoff between Darnell Nurse and the Edmonton Oilers has come to an end.

According to reports, Nurse has agreed to a two-year, $6.4 million contract with the Oilers just days after training camp opened in Edmonton.

It’s a favourable contract for both sides. The cap-strapped Oilers did well in locking in a 23-year-old top-four defenceman on the cheap, while Nurse earns some good faith and gives himself the chance to build up his value over the next two years before becoming a restricted free agent again in 2021.

There’s plenty of reasons Nurse would bet on himself. He’s coming off a career year that saw him set new personal bests in games played (82), goals (6), assists (20) and ice time — he led the Oilers in total ice time and was second to Oscar Klefbom in ice time per game. Although he’s not expected to be an offensive juggernaut, it’s not unreasonable to think his offensive output has some room to grow on a team that employs Connor McDavid. His value defensively to a team that should be on the come-up over the next two seasons also ought to help his case.

The timing of the deal comes as no surprise. Not only do the Oilers begin their preseason schedule Monday against the Flames, but it comes just one day after the Jets locked up Josh Morrissey, who put up similar numbers to Nurse in a lesser role, to a nearly identical two-year, $6.3 million contract.

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