Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is a fan favorite in Oil Nation.
Drafted by the Edmonton Oilers first general within the 2011 NHL Draft, Nugent-Hopkins’ contributions to his group have been constant and invaluable over time. Getting into the 2024-25 NHL marketing campaign, the native of Burnaby, British Columbia, had skated in practically 900 common season video games with the Oilers along with greater than 70 postseason contests. An alternate captain with the Oilers for greater than ten seasons and counting, his two-way play and pure management skills have lengthy made him a vital element of Edmonton’s roster and one whose versatility solely provides to his worth. Having notched 700 common season factors with the Oilers and one other 61 within the playoffs, his significance to the group can’t be understated.
Nearing the 900-game plateau on the age of simply 31 years outdated, Nugent-Hopkins nonetheless has a substantial quantity of hockey forward of himself. Underneath contract by means of the 2028-29 season and carrying a team-friendly annual cap hit of simply $5.1 million, he’s on observe to eclipse 1,000 video games performed in just a few seasons’ time and will very properly come near or exceed 1,500 in his NHL profession. If these video games all include the Edmonton, he’ll be remembered as one of many biggest Oilers of all time for his intensive tenure and spectacular observe report with the group.
Stating Nugent-Hopkins’ Case
The Oilers’ chief in all-time video games performed is Corridor of Fame inductee Kevin Lowe, who appeared in 1,037 contests throughout his 15 years with the group. Getting into the 2024-25 marketing campaign, Nugent-Hopkins stood third on Edmonton’s checklist of all-time video games performed with 881 appearances. With 5 years remaining on his present deal, he might very properly go well with up in one other 400 video games or extra with the Oilers, and showcase a stage of consistency that may make him the group’s all-time video games performed chief by a large margin. As well as, he’ll solely be 35 years outdated when his present contract expires. With most of the sport’s nice gamers taking to the ice properly into their late 30s and early 40s nowadays, he might push himself in direction of and into the NHL’s top-20 checklist of video games performed leaders if he’s capable of keep wholesome, which is reserved for many who have appeared in 1,500 contests or extra.
Whereas Nugent-Hopkins has remained comparatively wholesome all through his profession up to now and has appeared in a whopping variety of video games because of this, he’s additionally been persistently efficient and productive within the contests he performs. Together with his first level of the 2024-25 season, he reached the 700 profession factors plateau and cemented his standing because the seventh highest-scoring participant of all-time in Oilers historical past. Whereas he has appreciable work to do to surpass Corridor of Fame inductee Glenn Anderson, whose 906 factors at the moment rank fifth-best in Edmonton’s historical past, Nugent-Hopkins might very properly overtake the six-time Stanley Cup champion given the 5 years remaining on his present contract.
A 0.79 points-per-game (P/G) participant all through his profession, it ought to solely take Nugent-Hopkins about 250 video games to overhaul Anderson on the Oilers’ all-time scoring checklist. Contemporary off of two of probably the most profitable seasons of his profession up to now and often skating alongside Connor McDavid in a potent Edmonton lineup, he might very properly problem Mark Messier and his 1,034 factors on the Oilers’ all-time scoring checklist when his profession someday involves an in depth.
Associated: Oilers’ Ryan Nugent-Hopkins Data 700th NHL Level
Maybe probably the most notable omission from Nugent-Hopkins’ Corridor of Fame case, up to now, is his lack of main awards. Whereas a loaded trophy case isn’t a prerequisite for touchdown within the Corridor of Fame, proudly owning {hardware} from a protracted and storied profession actually doesn’t pose any hurt. Though he was named to the All-Rookie Group following his sophomore marketing campaign, completed second in Calder Trophy voting to Gabriel Landeskog, and was chosen to the All-Star Sport in 2015, he lacks the {hardware} that may garner the eye of the Corridor of Fame’s Induction Committee.
It’s necessary to say, nonetheless, that loads of notable gamers have been inducted into the Corridor of Fame over time who didn’t declare quite a few awards throughout their illustrious careers. Of word are two Oilers greats referenced above; Anderson and Lowe. Anderson didn’t win a single particular person award throughout his unimaginable profession, whereas Lowe solely managed to take dwelling the King Clancy Trophy on one event. Positive, each had been members of Edmonton’s unimaginable dynasty of the Eighties and claimed six Stanley Cups every because of this, however they’re additionally proof {that a} lengthy, constant, and productive profession will be greater than sufficient to land within the Corridor of Fame.
Hockey Corridor of Famer, or Not?
Whereas almost certainly don’t take into account Nugent-Hopkins a official contender to someday land within the Corridor of Fame, as we’ve seen, his case is way stronger than many might need initially believed. On observe to turn into one of many longest-tenured and highest-scoring gamers in Oilers historical past, his consistency and management skills have lengthy garnered the reward of his teammates and Edmonton’s fanbase.
If Nugent-Hopkins can stay wholesome and play upwards of 5 extra years within the NHL, he’ll have arguably put collectively one of many quietest but most profitable careers in NHL historical past in current reminiscence. Whereas his play will, after all, dictate his probabilities of someday being inducted into the Corridor of Fame, it’s abundantly clear that he’s taking part in at a tempo that may see him garner vital consideration for choice. With the Oilers in win-now mode and on the cusp of capturing their first Stanley Cup since 1990, a championship or two might show to be precisely what Nugent-Hopkins must enshrine himself as one of many sport’s greats.
