Edmonton Oilers Expected To Extend Top Defenseman

According to Elliotte Friedman, the Edmonton Oilers are expected to sign defenseman Darnell Nurse to a four-year extension. He was set to become an unrestricted free agent next off-season.

In addition to free agency, we're also on the lookout for extensions. Hearing EDM and Darnell Nurse working on what is believed to be a four-year deal. The defenceman -- who had a terrific season -- has one year remaining before UFA eligibility.
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) July 27, 2021

Nurse has become a top-pairing defenseman and honestly, the Oilers' most important one. This season was his true breakout one, as he scored 16 goals and recorded 36 points in 56 games. He did have some good offensive years before this one, but he never came close to that goal total. Yet, in the process, he still was defensively sound, too. Therefore, he is not sacrificing his strong defensive play for offense.

The Oilers are about to check off a big task and deserve praise for doing it early. Nurse will now be a long-term piece of this team moving forward, which is great to see. We should see the finalized contract soon.