Oilers 2026-27 Player Previews: Ryan Nugent-Hopkins

Training camp begins this week, so let’s continue our Edmonton Oilers player preview series. Yesterday we looked at Vasily Podkolzin, and now we focus on the longest-tenured Oiler.

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is entering his 16th NHL season and has accumulated 1,031 career games. The 2011 first-overall pick has been a consistent 20-goal scorer and 50-point producer. He has seven 20-goal campaigns under his belt and at least 18 goals 11 times. He’s been around the block, and Mike Babcock will be his 10th different head coach with Edmonton.

He had a mediocre 2025-26, recording 20 goals and 56 points in 72 games. Unfortunately, he was a minus-9, which was the eighth-worst. However, everyone worse than him was either a defenceman or a consistent bottom-sixer. Nugent-Hopkins spent most of his time on the top line alongside Connor McDavid and Zach Hyman. That trio played 388:57 together at 5-on-5, by far the most common line.

He’s not the flashiest player, but he’s smart and is always in the right positions offensively and defensively. He’s an effective two-way player, and he hasn’t regressed with age. He still has three years left on his contract with an affordable $5.125 million cap hit. Let’s preview his 2026-27 season.

Nugent-Hopkins Should Have a Lesser Role

Nugent-Hopkins has been a focal point of the offence, but it’s time to ease his minutes. He’s 33 years old and could use a smaller role. He came into the league as a centre, but eventually moved to the wing. He can play both positions, but at this point in his career, he’s better as a winger.

The veteran forward had been a prominent top-line winger. But what if they move him to the third line? With Podkolzin and Matt Savoie’s emergence, and rookie Isaac Howard looking to crack the top six, they could spread the offence and create three scoring lines.

They could also experiment on the power play and take him off the top unit. He has been a staple on the man advantage, but it might be time to switch it up and give someone else opportunities. Podkolzin, Savoie, and Howard could boost that unit and give them a new look.

Best Case Scenario

The best-case scenario is that he remains reliable and consistent whether he’s in the top six or not. Another 20 goals and 60 points would be a productive season.