Oilers Need More From Ryan Nugent-Hopkins – Hockey Writers – Edmonton Oilers
Things aren’t as intense surrounding the Edmonton Oilers as they were a few weeks ago. Yes, they don’t have both Leon Draisaitl and Zach Hyman, but they’ve also been able to play their best hockey of late, making them look like a near lock to make the playoffs for the seventh straight year.
Not surprisingly, a big factor in the Oilers’ recent success is the play of Connor McDavid. His 126 points are tied with Nikita Kucherov for the league lead, and he’s been terrific as of late. The same can be said for Evan Bouchard, who is on track to surpass 90 points for the first time in his career.
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It’s not just those two, either. Overall, the Oilers system from top to bottom has shown significant improvement. It’s a very promising sign, and one that has led their fans to breathe easy. That said, there is one key member of this team whose performances so far have been unacceptable at the most important time of the season.
Nugent-Hopkins Has Been Silent
Throughout his time with the Oilers, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins was a player who rarely received criticism. That’s because he appears to be at his best, providing solid defensive play while repeatedly putting up strong offensive numbers.
Overall, this season hasn’t been much different, as the 32-year-old has 18 points and 53 points in 67 games. Those numbers would put him on pace for nearly 65 points over a full 82-game schedule, which is about what everyone would expect. That said, there was reason to criticize the man fans know as ‘Nuge’ as of late.
When it was announced that Draisaitl would miss time, Nugent-Hopkins was the player many pointed to as needing to step up. McDavid and Bouchard were the most obvious candidates, but after those two, Nugent-Hopkins may have been talked about the most. So far, things aren’t going too well.
Saturday’s 5-1 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights marked the ninth game Draisaitl has missed. The Oilers impressed during that stretch, compiling a 6-3-0 record, part of which included a season-best five-game winning streak.
There are plenty of Oilers you can point to that have stepped up in what has been the biggest stretch of the season. Someone who won’t fall into that category, however, is none other than fan favorite Nugent-Hopkins.
Nugent-Hopkins has one goal and two assists in nine games without Draisaitl in the lineup. That’s not enough for a player of his skill level, and especially one that the Oilers really rely on without Draisaitl on the roster. What is more worrying is that these struggles have been going on for a long time.
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Before the Olympic break, Nugent-Hopkins was nearly a point-per-game average with 45 to 49 games. That performance has been intense since his return, as he has managed eight points in 18 games. There is no denying how difficult it has been for a player who likes to be as consistent as he comes.
Nugent-Hopkins Needed for Deep Playoff Run
Given the ups and downs we’ve seen this season, many doubt the Oilers will return to the Stanley Cup Finals for the third straight year this spring. While that remains to be seen, the fan base is well aware that this team has no chance of going anywhere if Nugent-Hopkins continues to be quiet like this. In order for them to continue their run, they will need him to be at his best, which he hasn’t been for a while now. Right now, there’s nothing Oilers fans can do but sit back and hope he can warm up before the end of the regular season.
