Despite boasting two of the world's top players, the Edmonton Oilers have yet to make a substantial impact in the playoffs. As history has shown, these difficulties often result in a significant amount of criticism, particularly in the Canadian market. <h3>The Spotlight on Darnell Nurse</h3> Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, while being the marquee names, generally dodge the brunt of the criticism. The majority of the negative attention falls onto other players like Darnell Nurse, particularly due to his hefty contract. <div align='center'><blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'><a href='https://twitter.com/OilersNation/status/1683531254543843329'> </a></blockquote></div> After establishing a promising start to his Edmonton career, Nurse inked an enormous 8-year, $74 million contract. This agreement results in an annual cap hit of $9.25 million, placing him among the highest-paid defensemen and most elite players in the NHL. <h3>Is The Criticism Justified?</h3> Despite the criticism, Nurse's performance after signing his new contract has been reasonably solid. He has accumulated 35 points in 71 games, and 43 points in a complete 82-game season. But the critique continues unabated, prompting Nurse to respond. <div align='center' style='padding-top:20px;padding-bottom:20px;'><img src='https://i.marqueur.com/habsetlnh/i/photo/291452.webp' width='100%' border='0' alt='image' loading='lazy' defer /></div> On a recent episode of the Mitts Off podcast, Nurse aired his frustrations. He claimed that Oilers' fans often scapegoat him for everything from an opponent's goal to traffic conditions on Stony Plain. Though some might argue he's overcompensated for his production, it's undeniable that at times, the criticism crosses the line. As Read on HouseofHockey - <a href='https://www.houseofhockey.net/nhl/news/Darnell-Nurse-Takes-a-Shot-at-Oilers-Fans' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>Darnell Nurse Takes a Shot at Oilers Fans</a>