Reinforcements coming as Nurse sidelined

"He's had a tremendous year up to this point," said Oilers Head Coach Todd McLellan. "He's really advanced his game and improved in a number of different areas."

"He was really coming into his own but with something like this, most players have to deal with it at some point in his career," said Oilers forward Mark Letestu.
"This little bit of adversity will probably make him better. We'll go back to the drawing board here for however long it's going to be. But he's a good kid. He's smart. He's going to come back stronger from this. He'll come back ready and he'll be a big part of our team when he does."
When a pillar of a team's defence becomes unavailable, it's up to the rest of the team and the defensive corps to step up. Luckily for Edmonton, the cavalry hasn't necessarily arrived yet, but they're at the very least waiting just outside.
Brandon Davidson and Eric Gryba are nearing their return to game action, with Davidson being closer than Gryba. It's possible the team could activate Davidson for their Tuesday showdown with the red-hot Columbus Blue Jackets.
"I've been watching for a long time," said Davidson, who hasn't played since October 12. "I think I've done some learning off the ice and I have a better understanding of what needs to happen on the ice. I'm going to try to translate that to my game. I won't try to do too much, but just kind of stay with my game."
Davidson says it's unfortunate that he returns to the lineup as Nurse's rehabilitation begins. The two have experience together as a pair both down in the American Hockey League (2014-15 playoffs), and in the NHL.
"I felt like he was really coming into his own and it's kind of disappointing that I went down and wasn't able to keep moving forward with him as a pairing, and now it's the other way around," said Davidson. "It's discouraging. I'd really like to see where that pairing could go, and I think we'll see it once again, but now we've got to wait until he's healthy. I'm hoping for a quick recovery for him."
McLellan says both Davidson and Gryba can add a physical "bite" to the backend, but the club will miss Nurse's ability to transport the puck and skate it through the neutral zone, along with how he can jump into the rush.

Luckily for the Oilers, they have much stronger depth on the blueline this year than in seasons' past. Davidson and Gryba only add to Edmonton's ability to weather an injury like Nurse's.
New veteran additions like Adam Larsson and Kris Russell have stepped in and been able to contribute, while rookie Matt Benning has been garnering praise from around the dressing room. His teammates have taken notice to how he's made a home for himself in the NHL, since being signed by the club in the summer.
"I think going out and getting Russell was fantastic for us and getting Larsson, class-A players in the League, then having a wildcard like Benning step up is fantastic," said Davidson, who has watched the Oilers blueline carefully during his recovery.
"Since I've been here, over the last couple of years, I think this is one of our better bluelines just with the variety of players and the way the pairings have matched. You can see that it hasn't been as big of a challenge for us (defensively) as it was in the past. At the same time, we're still young and still figuring things out to get to the next level."
Losing Nurse for a lengthy period of time is tough, but players in the dressing room hope their depth, coupled with the return of some previously-injured contributors, can help the team not only stay afloat but succeed.
"The guys who have come up have played big for us," said Letestu. "They've played important minutes in important spots... To get Davy and Grybs back, it only makes our team stronger, whether they're playing or not. It only makes our locker room stronger. They'll bring a lot that way. We're happy they're coming back."