3 Oilers Who Need Less Hate From Fans

The Edmonton Oilers have a few players that have become scapegoats for some fans of the team.

There will be ups and downs of every season, and the Edmonton Oilers are no exception. After an eight game winning streak the Oilers have no lost two games in a row.

Frustrations are high among fans, and rightfully so. However, there needs to be a line drawn somewhere. Players are highly competitive individuals. Regardless of how hard a fan is on a player, the player is harder on themselves.

In light of this, here are three players who I believe fans are too hard on. Each bring something incredibly valuable to the team in one way or another.

The biggest whipping boy at this stage of the season appears to be Connor Brown. At this point in time he only has one assist in 22 games. Obviously this isn't ideal, regardless of what his salary cap is.

The points and the salary are tied closely together with this player. If he scored more, I'm sure some fans would be easier on Brown if he had eight to ten points. Instead, his $775,000 cap hit (plus $3.225-million bonus) make his $4-million contract look lackluster at best.

However, in this recent string of games you could see what he brings to the team. He is an aggressive penalty killer, he forechecks, he goes to the net and he's not selfish about who gets the points. Compared to other recent $3-$4-million wingers that have come through the Oilers team, Brown is not the worst. 

I hear mostly two different things when it comes to Darnell Nurse. His salary and how he defends certain rush situations. This doesn't strike me as a constructive way to evaluate players on a team.

Nurse has been playing some of his best hockey lately. He's been strong defensively while also making good plays on the offensive side of the puck. That has led to point production.

It's not even this year either. Last year the leading scorer for Oilers defensemen wasn't Tyson Barrie or Evan Bouchard - it was Darnell Nurse. Also, he does it without top power play minutes.

As for how he defends the rush at times - live and let live. Before he used to do "starfish" to break up (what seemed like) every rush attempt against. Since the coaching change he still performs this defensive technique, he just does it at a time when it feels most appropriate.

Lastly, his salary cap isn't really his fault. That's primarily the negotiations between his agent and the team and shouldn't be tied into the conversation about players.

Since the coaching change we seem to be witnessing a brand new Bouchard. Paul Coffey's emphasis on making plays and moving your feet have obviously paid dividends for the young blueliner.

He has 20 points in his last 14 games - 32 points over the 28 games this season. He is on fire offensively for the Oilers. 16 of his 32 points have come on the power play, a new career high for Bouchard.

His defensive game has excelled. He's breaking up rushes against with his stick, he's defending with his body, being assertive without being reckless - everything you want from the best defender on your team.

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