Edmonton Oilers News

Home

Quizzes

Newsletter

May 23, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA;Edmonton Oilers center Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (93) reacts after scoring a goal against the Dallas Stars in the first period for game two of the Western Conference Final of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Oilers Need Far More From Ryan Nugent-Hopkins

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers
By Rupert McDonald | Last updated Apr 7, 2026 2:25 PM ET

Things are much less tense surrounding the Edmonton Oilers than they were just a few short weeks ago. Yes, they are without both Leon Draisaitl and Zach Hyman, but they’ve also been able to play some of their best hockey as of late, which has them looking like a near lock to make the playoffs for the seventh-straight year.

To no surprise, 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 particularly good as of late. The same can be said for Evan Bouchard, who is well on his way to surpassing 90 points for the first time in his career.

It isn’t just those two, either. Overall, the Oilers roster from top to bottom has shown significant improvement. It’s a very promising sign, and one that has resulted in their fan base breathing easier. That said, there is one key member of this team whose play as of late simply hasn’t been acceptable in what has been a very important stretch of the season.

Nugent-Hopkins Has Been Quiet

Throughout his entire Oilers tenure, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins has been a player who rarely receives criticism. That’s due to the fact that he seems to be at his best more often than not, providing strong defensive play while also chipping in with strong offensive numbers.

Overall, this season hasn’t been much different, as the 32-year-old has 18 tallies and 53 points through 67 games. Those numbers would have him on pace for roughly 65 points over a full 82-game schedule, which is right about what everyone would expect. That said, there has been reason to criticize the man fans know as ‘Nuge’ as of late.

When it was announced that Draisaitl would be missing time, Nugent-Hopkins was a player many immediately pointed at as one who would need to step up. McDavid and Bouchard were the most obvious candidates, but after those two, Nugent-Hopkins may have been the most mentioned. So far, things aren’t going very well.

Saturday’s 5-1 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights marked the ninth-straight game Draisaitl has missed. The Oilers have actually impressed over that span, putting together 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 for having stepped up in what’s been the biggest stretch of the season. One who wouldn’t fall into that category, however, happens to be none other than the fan favourite in Nugent-Hopkins.

Nugent-Hopkins has managed just one goal and two assists in the nine games without Draisaitl in the lineup. That simply isn’t enough for a player of his skill level, and in particular one that the Oilers really rely upon without Draisaitl in the lineup. Even more concerning is that these struggles have actually been going on for a while.

Prior to the Olympic break, Nugent-Hopkins was nearly a point-per-game player with 45 through 49 games. That production has taken a nose dive since returning, as he’s managed just eight points through 18 games. There’s no denying how rough of a stretch it has been for a player who tends to be as consistent as they come.

Nugent-Hopkins Needed for Deep Playoff Run

Given the ups and downs we’ve seen this season, there are many who doubt that the Oilers will get back to the Stanley Cup Final for a third-straight year this spring. While that remains to be seen, the fan base is well aware that this team has zero chance of going anywhere if Nugent-Hopkins continues to be this quiet. In order to go on a deep run, they’ll need him to be at his best, which he hasn’t been for some time now. At this point, there’s nothing Oilers fans can do but sit back and hope he can heat up before the regular season comes to an end.