Why Ryan Nugent-Hopkins matters more to the Oilers now than ever before

EDMONTON — The Oilers are sending three deserving representatives to the All-Star Game in Sunrise, Fla. — two superstars in Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl and a rookie goaltender who’s exceeded expectations in Stuart Skinner.

But they have two more members who could have joined the trio if rosters were expanded or if the NHL didn’t have the desire to include a player from each organization.

Both Oilers in question are top-15 scorers in the NHL.

Winger Zach Hyman, 30, has gotten plenty of praise for already setting a career high with 60 points and needs just one more goal to tie his personal best. He’s one of the engines that drives the team and acts, as aptly described by colleague Dom Luszczyszyn, as the “ultimate complementary player” next to McDavid or Draisaitl or both.

And then there’s Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, 29. For as impactful as Hyman has been this season — and really since he signed with the Oilers in July 2021 — Nugent-Hopkins has been just as valuable, if not more so.

Like Hyman, Nugent-Hopkins has 60 points in 50 games this season. He has 22 goals. He’s also closing in on his career marks of 28 goals and 69 points set in 2018-19.

“He’s driven to win. He flies under the radar here because of some of the other forwards that we have, but he makes people around him better,” Oilers coach Jay Woodcroft said. “He’s very much appreciated internally.

“It’s a great example that, just because your age is a certain number, doesn’t mean you stop getting better. Hyman is a good example of that. Nuge is a good example of that. For our younger players, those are two good people to look up to.”

But what’s been most impressive about Nugent-Hopkins’s campaign — and what perhaps separates him from Hyman — is he’s effectively driving his own line, particularly often of late.

“I’m just trying to play my game and help out where I can,” Nugent-Hopkins said. “Whoever I’m playing with at the time, I want them to push me — and I want to push them to be able to bring it every night.”

A journeyman depth forward, Mattias Janmark, and an upstart-but-unproven winger, Klim Kostin, have been his frequent flanks since mid-December.

Nugent-Hopkins said they’ve “meshed” while each bringing something different to the table. There’s no debating who stirs the drink.

“He complements a lot of different people up and down our lineup,” Woodcroft said. “He’s a real important piece. He helps make us go up front.”

Sure, Nugent-Hopkins is still picking up tons of power-play points — 32 to be exact — but it’s not like he’s only been dining out when the Oilers are on the man advantage. That’s been an RNH special in the past to make up for subpar five-on-five production.

For instance, he had just two primary five-on-five assists during the shortened 2021 season.

Nugent-Hopkins has 20 five-on-five points, which has already equalled his total from last season in 63 games and is six more than in 2021 when he played in 52 contests.

Not only has Nugent-Hopkins been producing at a much greater rate now, but the Oilers’ internal data and the publicly available information support the claim he’s been a way more effective player.

Per Natural Stat Trick, the Oilers are outscoring the opposition 37-31 at five-on-five in 661 minutes with Nugent-Hopkins on the ice. Again, with due respect to Janmark and Kostin, Nugent-Hopkins hasn’t exactly been skating often with elite offensive producers.

“You don’t need the data to tell you that. The eye test will tell you that he’s playing really well,” McDavid said. “Obviously, he’s putting up points and producing. But he touches all aspects of the game. I always say that about him.

“He’s huge on the (penalty) kill for us. He’s a big piece of the power play. At five-on-five, he plays trusted minutes. At both ends of the rink, he’s delivering.”

RNH’s ability to push the pace of play as a line driver has been an enormous boon to the coaching staff. They have similar options at their disposal to past seasons but more confidence in them.

Nugent-Hopkins is still used as a winger from time to time, but effectively anchoring Janmark and Kostin as a centre has been vital to the Oilers’ success.

“I feel good when he’s on the ice,” Woodcroft said. “There’s a subtly to his game. He helps make us go.

“His great separator right now is his level of compete on pucks. I don’t think it’s a surprise that he’s having the year that he’s having given the fact that he’s displayed a level of compete that is upper echelon.”

In part because of RNH’s efforts this season, the Oilers are contemplating a unique approach to the trade deadline.

As noted, the organization’s short-term faith in rookies Dylan Holloway, Vincent Desharnais and, most specifically, Philip Broberg could be major factors in upcoming planning. Their play could determine what kind of upgrade needs to be made to the blue line — if at all — and whether they should pivot to trying to acquire an impactful forward.

Right now, the Oilers have confidence in Nugent-Hopkins driving his own line based on his work for the last several weeks. They might trade for a second- or third-line centre for more punch up front.

The thinking is that the new acquisition and Nugent-Hopkins would centre their own lines, leaving McDavid and Draisaitl to join forces on a more permanent basis as they did when they torched the Flames in the playoffs.

Bo Horvat at least piqued their interest before the Islanders nabbed him on Monday. Jonathan Toews is a consideration even though a trade would be complicated because of his $10.5 million cap hit and no-movement clause. There could be others in mind.

Whether or not such an acquisition happens down the stretch, the Oilers have already trotted out their two superstars together for much of December and parts of January — often with Hyman — because of their belief in Nugent-Hopkins.

“We always know that our lineup’s going to be a little all over the place just with the number of forwards that we have,” McDavid said. “With the number of quality forwards that we have, there are always going to be different combinations that are going on. Woody likes to keep whoever’s going, going. That’s a great thing.

“There’s always going to be adjustments. Nuge playing so well is nothing but good for us.”

Since Evander Kane’s return, the coaching staff has been more inclined to separate McDavid and Draisaitl to even the depth out over three lines while using 11 forwards.

Nugent-Hopkins plays 14 minutes at even strength, two minutes fewer than Hyman in that capacity and three behind McDavid and Draisaitl. Yet he’s still doing his part better than ever to make the Oilers a more dangerous team.

He thinks he has more to prove, too.

“I’m happy with the way I’ve been able to bear down in certain areas, but I still do think I can put the puck on net a little bit more and create something off of it,” Nugent-Hopkins said.

He might not be an All-Star, but RNH is sure one important Oiler. The numbers show it — and there’s still more time for him to prove his worth in the months ahead.

“It’s not just in his boxcar statistics. His leadership has grown,” Woodcroft said. “It stems from his competitiveness. The level of consistency that he’s displaying is impressive. I’m impressed.

“I sat down with him at the start of the year with a plan for his year and what we wanted to see. He has, so far, far exceeded that. But like with a lot of our veterans, that’s not what drives him. He’s been here for a long time. He got a taste of playoff hockey last year. He wants to win.”

(Top photo: Bruce Bennett / Getty Images)