Darnell Nurse

Edmonton Oilers: Darnell Nurse Skating, Could Be Close

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 3:07 p.m. ET

Fansided, Sammi Silber/FanSided via Oil On Whyte

The Edmonton Oilers are dealing with a couple major blueline injuries at the moment. However, they could be close to getting back a big name.

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Darnell Nurse, who broke his ankle a few weeks back, was spotted at Oilers practice Friday. He was skating to full power and wasn’t wearing a non-contact jersey. From the way he looked, he could be returning to game action in the coming days.

In 21 games this season, Nurse has three goals and five points and is a minus-3. He boasts a 0.2 relative Corsi and acts as a solid, physical third-pairing blueliner. With 60 hits and 25 blocks this season, Nurse’s significance on the roster is prominent. He is one of the team’s most aggressive, hard-hitting defenders, and can make or break a game.

Edmonton recently lost defenceman Matthew Benning to injury, and he was also on the ice at practice. However, his timetable still remains a little bit longer. However, with Nurse back, that means the Oilers can play either Oesterle or Davidson on the right-hand side, and still have insurance.

Eric Gryba could also slot in for the injured Benning, and get playing time with a refreshed Nurse ready to enter the lineup. The team recently had a bye week, and will be kicking back into gear Saturday as they face the Chicago Blackhawks.