Oilers: Ryan Nugent-Hopkins Keys To Success, Profile, And Expectations

The Edmonton Oilers have Ryan Nugent-Hopkins signed for a long time now. He took a team-friendly deal this offseason to keep him in Edmonton for the duration of his career. So now all he has to do is play.

The Edmonton Oilers need Ryan Nugent-Hopkins to be the former first overall pick they drafted in 2011.

This team needs Nugent-Hopkins to be a star player. Not just someone that is good alongside guys like Draisaitl and McDavid, but someone that can lead the offense on his own as well. Nugent-Hopkins signed a massive eight-year 41 million dollar extension, and now it is the time for him to show he is worth that much.

Let’s dive in with some stats from the past, keys to success, and expectations for the year.

Stats From The Past:

Keys To Success:

1. Lead The Line – No matter who is on his line this season I hope Nugent-Hopkins can be the leader on his line this year. When he hasn’t been with Draisaitl or McDavid in the past his play has fallen off a little, but maybe this season he can help provide even more depth in the organization by leading a good third-line option for the Oilers. When it comes time for the playoffs the Oilers need to know they have options in the lineup.

2. Continue to Score On The Power Play – Nugent-Hopkins has had his stats boosted by the power play in the past. Hopefully, he can continue to be a threat on the man advantage and get the team some easy goals so that they are automatic when up a skater on the ice.

3. Just Play The Game – Nugent-Hopkins no longer has a contract to worry about. He is signed for a long time and just needs to worry about playing hockey now. I think this could be a big season for him as he doesn’t need to worry about getting to a certain number to get a good contract, he can just play the game and help the team win.

Expectation:

For my bold prediction for Nugent-Hopkins, I am going to say that he is about to have one of his best seasons to date. His best season came in 2018-19 when he put up 69 points, I wouldn’t be surprised if he passes that total up in 2021-22.