Yahoo Sports Oilers Need To Get More From Ryan Nugent-Hopkins
Sometimes, you don't know what you've got until it's gone.
For almost a decade, the Oilers have been lucky enough to have two future inner-circle Hall-of-Famers running their offence. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are so good that it's easy to forget how important other players are in comparison. That is, until those lesser players start slumping.
While Ryan Nugent-Hopkins never quite lived up to his first-overall draft status, he's settled into his niche as a powerplay specialist and two-way playmaker good for around 60 points a year. He's so consistent that it's often easy to forget about him, but his absence has been felt during his slow start to this season.
Nugent-Hopkins just hasn't been up to snuff this season. He's scored just 20 points through 36 games this year, a 46-point pace that would be his worst since 2016-17, while his expected goals share is at its lowest since 2018-19.
The biggest problem has been his play with the man advantage, however. He's collected just seven powerplay points this season, far behind his usual pace, and his 3.74 powerplay points per 60 minutes are by far his lowest in the McDavid era. He's gone from being one of the most underrated powerplay players in the league to a legitimate drag on the Oilers' offence.
His circumstances haven't changed a bit. He's spent most of the season in his usual spot on McDavid's left wing and hasn't once been moved off the top powerplay unit.
There is one explanation for the decline in production: shooting luck. While Nugent-Hopkins' own shooting is right in line with his career average, he was certainly affected by linemate Zach Hyman's early season slump. He somehow has just four secondary assists this season, a stat that is extremely volatile and not very predictive. Give him, say, ten secondary assists and his full-season point pace jumps up to his usual 60.
There's also reason for optimism in his recent play. He's bounced back since Christmas, with a powerplay goal in Los Angeles and another goal on Tuesday against Utah after being reunited with McDavid next to Connor Brown.
McDavid finds the Nuge for the backdoor finish 🛢️ pic.twitter.com/hCj8HUWZbw
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) January 1, 2025
The Oilers had better hope that recent play is a sign of things to come. With four years left on the 31-year-old's contract after this season, they can't afford their longest-tenured player facing age-related decline so early.
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