The Edmonton Oilers need pretty much everyone on their roster to step up this season and play on another level.
Today there are a few different players I want to highlight that need to step up this season. If the Edmonton Oilers get good years out of these three players in particular then they should be good for a playoff run.
Obviously either way this season goes the big-name guys like Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and Darnell Nurse need to rise to the occasion. This season’s success starts with those three guys, but the next tear needs to have a few other players have career years.
First up on the list needs no introduction, as he signed a nice contract extension earlier this offseason:
1. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins
The Edmonton Oilers’ success starts with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins behind McDavid and Draisaitl. Nugent-Hopkins will be an Oiler his entire life, but the success he has in Edmonton depends on this season.
Nugent-Hopkins is constantly putting up good numbers, but his numbers kind of rely on him being on the power play. If he can be effective during five on five this season and spend some time apart of Draisaitl on a third-line role then the team would have more than a few good lines rolling each game, which is the key to success in the playoffs.