Darnell Nurse is having the bounce-back season of a lifetime

Ever since Darnell Nurse signed his monstrous $9.2 million dollar contract, fans have scrutinized him for not playing up to his contract.

Although he may not be a fan favourite in Edmonton, you would be remiss not to acknowledge his play on the blue-line this season.

Finn Marceau of The Hockey News points out that Nurse and Kulak are leading the NHL's defenseman pairings in xGoals% at 65.7%. They are sitting at the top, tied with Jonas Brodin and Jared Spurgeon of the Minnesota Wild. While this stat doesn't mean the duo of Kulak and Nurse is all-world and a permanent solution to the Oilers' defensive issues, it's a good sign.

What this does mean is that, in a pinch, Kulak can play up on the second pair without issue. There were doubts that he could be a top-four defenseman, having really never been asked to log that many minutes. But, he's been a gamer, meshing well with Nurse, even though both are left-handed shooters.

Furthermore, Brett Kulak has been absolutely on fire to start the 2024-25 NHL campaign. In 22 regular season games, Kulak has notched an impressive 9 points - almost equaling his season high.

Assistant coach Paul Coffey has been rewarding Kulak with increased minutes, frequently elevating him to the second line pairing alongside Darnell Nurse.

Despite the hate, Darnell Nurse seems to be finally living up to his contract, but he has Brett Kulak to thank for it.