The Edmonton Oilers have signed a contract extension with defenceman Darnell Nurse.
The deal will see the six-foot-four, 221-pound alternate captain with the team through the 2021-22 season.
Nurse, 25, said he was trying to negotiate a contract around the five-year term, but is happy with where they landed.
“Didn’t want to drag it into the summer, didn’t want to make it carry on any longer, just get it over with. I think it works out good for both sides,” he said Monday after practice.
“For me, I love it here. I love the guys here. We have a great owner, great management, great coaching staff, so it’s a place I want to be and hopefully we can work on something 16 months from now. But it’s good to get this one.”
Nurse has appeared in 334 career NHL games, including 55 with the Oilers this season, posting 24 points, 44 penalty minutes and a -2 plus/minus rating.
He currently ranks second among Oilers defencemen in points, with 24, and is second on the team in hits and blocked shots.
Oilers captain Connor McDavid, who used to live with Nurse, said he’s happy Nurse will be sticking around for a couple more years.
“On the ice, his game speaks for itself. Off the ice, he brings a lot of personality, a lot of energy. He does a lot for the guys in the room and I’m lucky to call him a teammate and friend.”
“In 2018-19, Nurse set personal highs and led all Oilers defencemen in points (41), goals (10) and assists (31),” a Monday news release from the team reads. “He also led the team in total ice-time (1,953), ranking 10th in the NHL.”
Head coach Dave Tippett said Nurse is still a young player and he’s excited to see where his game goes in the coming years.
“I think he’s just getting into the thick of things. He’s a good player now, you can see the minutes he munches, plays in all situations. He’s a real good character guy in our leadership group, our top leadership group, so he means a lot to this group. I think there’s a lot more upside on his whole game,” he said.
“It’s a great signing for him, a great signing for us.”
Nurse was selected by Edmonton in the first round, 7th overall at the 2013 NHL Draft.
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