3 hours Ago
NEWARK, N.J. — Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is trying his best not to let his goal scoring and offensive woes drag him down.
The veteran Edmonton Oilers forward has just one goal in his last 15 games. He’s scored just one goal at five-on-five assisted by Connor McDavid all season. That’s in 436 minutes together.
Advertisement “It’s easier said than done; you can get frustrated at times,” Nugent-Hopkins said. “But if you’re getting close and guys are making good saves or you’re just straight missing opportunities, you get frustrated.” Nugent-Hopkins has 16 goals and is just two shy of equalling his total from last season.
However, he has just 39 points, while appearing in all 63 games. That puts him on pace for 51 points after he recorded 67 last season and 104 the campaign before that. He has 1.
16 points per 60 minutes, ranking ahead of only Mattias Janmark and Adam Henrique among forwards currently on the roster. It’s been tough sledding offensively for him. The way he views it, Nugent-Hopkins is more concerned about when he’s failed to capitalize compared to the lack of pucks going in the net.
He points to the last outing in Buffalo when he rang a shot off the iron four minutes in and then missed a couple of chances late with the Oilers searching for the tying marker. “When I have three really good opportunities and they don’t go in, I’m more frustrated because that could be the difference in a game,” Nugent-Hopkins said. “If we’re up 4-1 or something, I approach it a little different because we’re holding a lead.
“If it’s a tight game and you’re getting chance, you want to bear down.” The offensive downturn isn’t limited to Nugent-Hopkins. This is a team problem.
The Oilers are ninth in the NHL in offence, scoring 3.23 goals a game. Though that’s respectable, things are trending in the wrong direction.
They were fourth with a 3.56 goals average last season and were first at 3.96 in 2022-23.
There’s an argument to be made that just two forwards are performing at or above expectations this season. One is 39-year-old fourth-liner Corey Perry, who has potted 14 goals and has probably been the Oilers’ most consistent bottom-six contributor. The other is possible league MVP Leon Draisaitl, who’s running away with the goal title and has exhibited an excellent two-way game.
Advertisement Nugent-Hopkins’ linemates haven’t produced at close to their best rates. McDavid has 82 points, which still puts him fourth in league scoring, but his 1.41 per game average is his lowest since 2017-18.
Zach Hyman has 22 goals after netting 54 last season and 36 the one prior. “I feel like we’re creating a lot, especially lately, which is the biggest thing,” Nugent-Hopkins said. “When you’re getting your chances, eventually they’ve got to go in — and having the confidence and belief that they will.
” Nugent-Hopkins laughed anxiously when he said the word “eventually.” It was as if he felt like things just can’t get any worse. It’s clear Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch is running out of patience as he waits for his top line to find another gear.
“It’s nowhere near the same level as it was last year,” he said. “All three of them haven’t been quite the same. We’ve tried some things, moving one guy or two new linemates around McDavid, and nothing’s really stuck.
Nothing’s been better.” Nugent-Hopkins appears to be at the forefront of that exasperation. “If you’re going to play top-line minutes, you’ve got to contribute some offence,” Knoblauch said.
“It’s harder because you are playing against the best matchups — shutdown centremen and the best D — but you expect your top players to be your best players. When you’re on the top line, that’s what I expect of him because that’s what I think of him. “There are a lot of positives to his game, but, yes, I would like to see some more offence chipped in.
” But it goes beyond a lack of production. Nugent-Hopkins, McDavid and Hyman have comprised the Oilers’ top trio for much of the season. The Oilers own a narrow 14-12 advantage on the scoreboard in 314 minutes at five-on-five, even though the underlying numbers suggest they should have potted three or four more goals.
Advertisement Nugent-Hopkins, McDavid and Hyman were a force last season. They outscored opponents 34-20 for a 63 percent goal share at five-on-five, which was a couple of percentage points behind what was expected. “We’re hopeful they can recapture that magic that they had last year,” Knoblauch said.
“Lately, it just hasn’t been as expected. I feel that they’ll figure it out, and they will be a dominant line. Last year, they were probably the best line in the league.
I don’t see any reason why they can’t recover and do that.” Nugent-Hopkins will have to be a factor if that’s going to happen. This is a player who’s beloved by the fan base and by those around the team — and deservedly so.
The first pick in the 2011 draft, Nugent-Hopkins is the longest-serving Oiler. He’s in his 14th season and has played 944 games, just 93 behind Kevin Lowe for the franchise record. Nugent-Hopkins doesn’t even turn 32 until next month, yet he’s been around so long that goalie Stuart Skinner grew up in Edmonton cheering him on as his favourite player.
They’ve been full-time teammates for three seasons. The fans call him “Nuge,” and Draisaitl affectionately refers to him as “Nuggy.” It’s hard to imagine the Oilers without him.
Part of that is because Nugent-Hopkins has done a little bit of everything for this team for so long. He’s either been the defensive conscience on the top line or has provided enough cover for whichever of the countless coaches he’s had to feel comfortable playing McDavid and Draisaitl together. He’s been a staple on the top power-play unit for years.
He’s long been relied upon for penalty killing and has been the most-used forward this season. “Obviously, you want to contribute offensively,” Nugent-Hopkins said, “but I can affect the game positively in other manners, too.” But many of those pluses have demerits next to them right now.
Nugent-Hopkins has had his five-on-five struggles. The power play hasn’t hit full force. The penalty kill has been in the bottom third all season.
Advertisement “Talking about Ryan, specifically, I think his defensive play has been great,” Knoblauch said. “But when players are going through a little dip in their play, a little funk, they start feeling it. They start squeezing their stick and they’re not playing their best.
But it’s amazing when a player gets a goal, how much it does for their confidence, and it leads to more offence.” Nugent-Hopkins is just one of the players who encapsulates a lull the team is enduring right now. The Oilers won three of four games before losing in Buffalo.
Sure, they missed a slew of chances, but they also turned pucks over in inadvisable places and didn’t get enough from Skinner in net. They were also trounced by the Anaheim Ducks before that stretch. Overall, the Oilers have a 5-8-1 record over the last 14 games as they’ve slid from third in the NHL by points percentage to 11th.
There’s lots of room for improvement, and Nugent-Hopkins is focused on having the right mindset. “I’m trying to stay positive and process-based,” he said. “Right now, it’s about building our game to where we want it to be when we hit the playoffs.
” — All advanced statistics via Natural Stat Trick (Top photo: Perry Nelson / Imagn Images).
