Ryan Nugent-Hopkins’ Injury Adds to Oilers’ Woes

Nugent-Hopkins played in Edmonton’s last game, a 9-1 drubbing at the hands of the league-leading Colorado Avalanche, but logged a season-low 14:50 of ice time. Much like the majority of the team, he finished the evening with an abysmal plus/minus. Knoblauch didn’t mention anything about why Nugent-Hopkins’ time on ice was low, though it can be assumed that it was due to some type of injury.

Oilers Lose One of Their Steadiest Contributors

Tonight’s game against the Blue Jackets will be the first that Nugent-Hopkins has missed all season, as prior to suffering the undisclosed injury, he had been a reliable force for an otherwise struggling operation. He'd scored five goals while notching 11 assists and his presence on the power play had also been potent as he had two goals and seven assists with the man advantage.

Nugent-Hopkins’ career has been defined not only by his ability to play well while on the ice but also by his durability, especially in recent years. Last season, he missed just four games, while the year before that he was absent for only two. During the 2022-23 campaign, he played in all 82 regular-season games, a feat he has accomplished three times in his career. Unfortunately for him and the Oilers, that will not be the case this season.

As such, Edmonton will turn to Janmark, who had been sidelined for the entire season up to this point. If Janmark’s history is to be believed, it’ll be difficult for him to rise up and match the production the team is missing without Nugent-Hopkins. Still, there are worse replacements, and Janmark, who has been a steady force for much of his career, including three decent seasons with the Oilers, should be able to at least provide a semblance of stability to a lineup in need of it.

The Oilers Need a Boost

Nugent-Hopkins’ injury only adds to what has already been a tough start to the season for the team that reached the Western Conference Final the past two years. Through 16 games, Edmonton is 6-6-4 and sits seventh in the Pacific Division, ahead of only the flailing Calgary Flames. Perhaps Janmark’s addition to the lineup produces the much-needed spark Edmonton has been looking for, or maybe Nugent-Hopkins’ absence simply continues the misery in the cold white north.

The Oilers will play their first game without their second-line center tonight against the Blue Jackets at 8:30 p.m. EST at Rogers Place in Edmonton.