2024–25 Edmonton Oilers player grade: Ryan Nugent-Hopkins

Nugent-Hopkins’ strengths in 2024–25

Like I mentioned above, Nugent-Hopkins is best known for his defensive ability, strong penalty killing, and consistent contributions on the Oilers top power play. In terms of the power play, he has proven to be an important piece by his stat line, which sees him have seven straight seasons of 20+ points on the man-advantage (2018–19 to 2024–25).

Despite a slight dip in overall production for the team this season, he remained a key offensive contributor. While the Oilers overall power play efficiency saw a decrease, he was still able to deliver offensively. His scoring output was not at its peak, but was still at a respectable level, and his skill set makes that difficult to argue with.

Nugent-Hopkins is a strong offensive player with a good wrist shot and a solid slap shot that both have accuracy and power. He has great offensive awareness, and has proven to be very good at making tape-to-tape passes. His offence aside, he also contributes defensively, with discipline, durability, and poise. While not at an elite level,  he can also win face-offs.

He has demonstrated good puck possession numbers, with a strong Corsi For percentage, which indicates his ability to drive play in the offensive zone. Lastly, he is a versatile player who can be used in many different situations, not  just on the power play and penalty kill. He also has experience playing on the first line, when the other key players have been injured.

Nugent-Hopkins’ weaknesses in 2024–25

Nugent-Hopkins saw his power play production dip in the 2024–25 season, with his points per 60 minutes on the man-advantage actually reaching its lowest point since 2017–18. His individual goal scoring on the power play remained decent, but the overall efficiency of the team declined, suggesting a potential area that they will look to improve.

A concern with Nugent-Hopkins that has been recurring, is his ability to maintain consistent offensive production in the playoffs. While he is a strong player who contributes in other areas, his scoring has sometimes fallen short of expectations, especially when the stakes have been at their highest. It looks like he was able to make up for this statement with his playoff performance that you cannot count out. In the 2024–25 playoffs, he was stellar with 20 points in 22 games.

There has been some analysis that indicates his expected goals for (xGF) at even strength, has been below what is usually expected for a top-six centre. This is a metric that measures the quality of scoring chances. While he contributes to the team offence, he is not really generating the most dangerous scoring chances. It is not really a weakness, but Nugent-Hopkins physicality and strength are rated lower than some other players, particularly with a greater physical presence or a more aggressive style.

This was not his issue, but instead a team issue. The Oilers struggled to exit their own zone at  times throughout the 2024–25 playoffs, and there was a key player with difficulties in this area. This just highlights a team-wide issue that affected their ability to maintain offensive zone time.

Nugent-Hopkins 2024–25 performance review

When discussing his overall performance in 2024–25, Nugent-Hopkins was still able to see more positives than negatives, even with a down year in terms of personal production. His ability to play different positions and move between centre and wing, allowed the Oilers to adjust their strategy and utilize other players effectively.

Because he excels at forechecking, anticipating plays, and making quick starts and stops, this makes him well suited for his role on the penalty kill. He was a consistent presence, and averaged between 90 seconds and two minutes on the penalty kill per game. His ability to contribute in these situations made him a valuable asset for the Oilers.

He showed the ability to play on a line with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, and filled in when either of them were unavailable. His offensive production in the playoffs has been strong, and he was a key contributor to the Oilers success in the 2024–25 season.

Against the Dallas Stars in the Western Conference Final, he was a dominant force, leading the team in shots for and ranking high in goals for and scoring chances per 60 minutes. Check out Natural Stat Trick for more details. His strong play throughout the playoffs was acknowledged by his coaches and teammates, who recognized his importance to the Oilers success.

Ryan’s 2024–25 player grade

Although his point production saw a bit of a decline this season, I think that his regular season and playoffs performance has justified a B+ grade. Having nearly a 50-point campaign, is still pretty impressive for a player of Nugent-Hopkins calibre, and his almost point per game pace through the playoffs, is another impressive feat in itself. He is still an important leader in the organization, and sometimes deserves more credit than he is given.

Nugent-Hopkins expectations for 2025–26 and beyond

Heading into the 2025–26 season, I am sure that Nugent-Hopkins will be looking to find his offensive touch again, and get back to posting a 60+ point season. At 32-years-old, it is pretty hard to say whether or not he will progress next season or start seeing some regression. I do not see him progressing as a player, but his two-way role for the Oilers, will most likely be staying the same.

With Kris Knoblauch and the Oilers management hiring new coaching staff, Nugent-Hopkins will look to be an important part of their power play and penalty kill, and get them both back to where they have been statistically before. Having one of the best man advantages, and having a penalty kill as one of the best in the NHL, is exactly what Edmonton will be looking to accomplish in the upcoming season.

What are your thoughts on Ryan Nugent-Hopkins 2024–25 season?