Darnell Nurse struggled immensely last season and as he tried to refocus this season assistant coach and former Oilers legend Paul Coffey was crucial in his process. During the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Edmonton Oilers were rolling. They found themselves all the way in the Stanley Cup Finals against the Florida Panthers. In that series, the Oilers would lose in 7 games. During the series, Darnell Nurse was one of the worst defensemen in the history of the playoffs. These struggles <a href='https://www.hockeylatest.com/nhl-team/edmonton-oilers/fans-are-ripping-into-darnell-nurse-for-horrible-performances-in-the-playoffs' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'> led to a lot of resentment and frustration from fans</a> and even from Darnell Nurse himself. <div align='center'><blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'><a href='https://twitter.com/Finesse_Stats/status/1804230704563188005'> </a></blockquote></div> Leading into the offseason Darnell Nurse knew he needed to sharpen up his game. <a href='https://www.hockeylatest.com/nhl-team/edmonton-oilers/darnell-nurse-emerges-as-prime-trade-candidate-according-to-insider' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>Nurse was followed throughout the offseason by reports and rumors of trades.</a> He wasn't exactly sure what type of player the Edmonton Oilers wanted him to be though. For many years he was a puck-moving offensive-type defenseman. Now he was feeling pressure to be more of a shut-down defenseman. This led to a conversation with Oilers legend Paul Coffey. In a new interview, Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal sat down with Paul Coffey and talked about the offseason. According to Paul Coffey, he was asked by Darnell Nurse what he needed to do and what the Oilers expected of him. Paul Coffey just asked that Darnell Nurse be himself. We had a really good chat we went out for an hour and we're on the same page, Oilers assistant coach Paul Coffey told the Edmonton Journal's Jim Matheson. He asked me if I wanted him to be a shutdown defenceman? said Coffey. I said �no.' I just want him to be a good player. He owns everything and my job as a coach is to make him better and make every defenceman's experience a good one. After the chat with Paul Coffey, this offseason Darnell Nurse looks like a different player from last season. He is more confident, physical, and in control. Through 5 games he has 2 points and has had a positive impact on the game overall despite the Oilers' struggles on defense as a whole. If the Edmonton Oilers are going to make another deep run in the Stanley Cup Playoffs they need Darnell Nurse performing at his highest level. Early returns from this season are much more promising than many expected and it seems Paul Coffey is to thank for that.