Confirmed Signing with Link: [EDM] Oilers sign Ryan Nugent-Hopkins to extension (8 years, $5.125M AAV)

[Oilslick941611]

And Pens fan say they made the playoffs 15 years straight.. yet got bounced in the play-ins like the Oilers.

Penguins Clinch Playoff Berth for a 15th-Consecutive Season

I mean the stats count as playoff stats...

so to me thats playoffs.

 

[WarriorofTime]

By all metrics those two are underwhelming. Heck... even the oft-derided Nuge had 52pt in 62GP as rookie with a bum shoulder (junior injury) and was only -2 on a bottom-feeding Oilers team where the top-D man was a sophomore named Jeff Petry.

Nuge had a GREAT rookie year, especially at the start, he wasn't really able to build off it unfortunately

 

[GOilers88]

Keeping RNH does nothing to improve the team. It just maintains the status quo. Holland should have put that $41m towards someone better. RnH is a meh player who won't and hasn't made a difference when it counts. 7 goals in 56 games in even strength situations.
Now thats a cool story.

RNH is a legit top six forward. The Oilers need to add another regardless, as well as a starting goaltender, likely a top four defenseman, a solid third line center, and a couple of solid bottom six players.

Letting RNH walk means you now certainly have to add two legit top six forwards, and they're both likely to be more expensive than RNH with at least 4-5 years term. This assumes Edmonton is able to land the big fish free agent targets they want while now bidding against 31 other teams in the process which for a long time now appears to be tough sledding. Then you need said players to mesh well with the locker room, something we already know RNH does very well. You know he's a good penalty killer, you know he gels well on the PP, and you know he can fill in as a center if heaven forbid anything happens to McDrai. With another actual top end winger on the team this also helps him run a second line better than trying to have him center players who should be in the bottom six, if the need arises. We hope Yamamoto can be a top six guy but you need to bump him down until he shows you otherwise.

I think most of us Oiler fans know what the laundry list of needs is, and I think most of us acknowledge it's unreasonable to expect everything to be filled in one go this summer. That's a lot of potential turnover in one offseason. Letting RNH walk only makes it that much harder, and adds another substantial need on top of the already large list.

Most of us think its a contract that will be moveable years down the road if need be, and if not you can consider a buyout, but that's likely at least 4 years away and the McDrai window is 4-5 years currently. So any concerns about the backhalf really don't matter if the team hasn't won anything or become a legit threat by then as there will be far bigger problems in Oil Country.

RNH is a solid complimentary player. People can say what they want about playoff production but the fact is playoff success comes from full team success, and having RNH taking up 1 of 12 forward spots doesn't change that. You still have to make the playoffs, and he absolutely helps with that.

 

[WarriorofTime]

And Pens fan say they made the playoffs 15 years straight.. yet got bounced in the play-ins like the Oilers.

Penguins Clinch Playoff Berth for a 15th-Consecutive Season

technically their playoff streak ended

 

[Rubi]

RNH is a legit top six forward. The Oilers need to add another regardless, as well as a starting goaltender, likely a top four defenseman, a solid third line center, and a couple of solid bottom six players.

Letting RNH walk means you now certainly have to add two legit top six forwards, and they're both likely to be more expensive than RNH with at least 4-5 years term. This assumes Edmonton is able to land the big fish free agent targets they want while now bidding against 31 other teams in the process which for a long time now appears to be tough sledding. Then you need said players to mesh well with the locker room, something we already know RNH does very well. You know he's a good penalty killer, you know he gels well on the PP, and you know he can fill in as a center if heaven forbid anything happens to McDrai. With another actual top end winger on the team this also helps him run a second line better than trying to have him center players who should be in the bottom six, if the need arises. We hope Yamamoto can be a top six guy but you need to bump him down until he shows you otherwise.

I think most of us Oiler fans know what the laundry list of needs is, and I think most of us acknowledge it's unreasonable to expect everything to be filled in one go this summer. That's a lot of potential turnover in one offseason. Letting RNH walk only makes it that much harder, and adds another substantial need on top of the already large list.

Most of us think its a contract that will be moveable years down the road if need be, and if not you can consider a buyout, but that's likely at least 4 years away and the McDrai window is 4-5 years currently. So any concerns about the backhalf really don't matter if the team hasn't won anything or become a legit threat by then as there will be far bigger problems in Oil Country.

RNH is a solid complimentary player. People can say what they want about playoff production but the fact is playoff success comes from full team success, and having RNH taking up 1 of 12 forward spots doesn't change that. You still have to make the playoffs, and he absolutely helps with that.

All good points, however you and I are looking at this from two different ways. You want to increase the depth by signing decent players (and RNH is a decent player) to fill out your roster and I believe that if the Oilers are to succeed in post season play they need a clutch player who can step up and score when opposing teams shut down McDavid and Draisaitl. RNH isn't that guy and Holland just wasted $41m on that guy. As far as I can see, Holland just spent $41M for more meh to be doled out over the next 8 years and that NMC makes it impossible to trade that contract unless RNH agrees ... and he sure sounds like he wants to retire an Oiler so I don't think he will. Why would he?
As far as buying out the contract, that sounds a lot like what everyone was saying about the Neal contract back in 2019 and yet here we are... useless Neal is still an Oiler and not a whisper of a buyout in the air.

 

[GOilers88]

All good points, however you and I are looking at this from two different ways. You want to increase the depth by signing decent players (and RNH is a decent player) to fill out your roster and I believe that if the Oilers are to succeed in post season play they need a clutch player who can step up and score when opposing teams shut down McDavid and Draisaitl. RNH isn't that guy and Holland just wasted $41m on that guy. As far as I can see, Holland just spent $41M for more meh to be doled out over the next 8 years and that NMC makes it impossible to trade that contract unless RNH agrees ... and he sure sounds like he wants to retire an Oiler so I don't think he will. Why would he?
As far as buying out the contract, that sounds a lot like what everyone was saying about the Neal contract back in 2019 and yet here we are... useless Neal is still an Oiler and not a whisper of a buyout in the air.

Personally I don't care about the total dollar amount. I care about locking up a top six player for a hair over 5 mil for the rest of the McDrai window. Beyond that doesn't really matter much at this point because they can still add impact players. I don't think he's going to be any Less than a 50-60 point guy at worst for the next 4 years so I have no concerns about what he is 4 years down the road. RNH doesn't hurt their chances, but that's just my opinion.

I'm also not sure who you think would be a better target but if he walks you have to add that target plus another RNH replacement. Seems counter productive to me.

 

[NotAVacuumSalesman]

All good points, however you and I are looking at this from two different ways. You want to increase the depth by signing decent players (and RNH is a decent player) to fill out your roster and I believe that if the Oilers are to succeed in post season play they need a clutch player who can step up and score when opposing teams shut down McDavid and Draisaitl. RNH isn't that guy and Holland just wasted $41m on that guy. As far as I can see, Holland just spent $41M for more meh to be doled out over the next 8 years and that NMC makes it impossible to trade that contract unless RNH agrees ... and he sure sounds like he wants to retire an Oiler so I don't think he will. Why would he?
As far as buying out the contract, that sounds a lot like what everyone was saying about the Neal contract back in 2019 and yet here we are... useless Neal is still an Oiler and not a whisper of a buyout in the air.

Who is this magical clutch player you're talking about? How much does it cost to acquire him? Why does this magical player want to play in Edmonton instead of a contending team? What makes you sure we can't add this player on top of having RNH?

Edmonton isn't the biggest attraction for FAs, its usually an overpay or conditions that'll favor them for a pay raise ex. Barrie.

Way too generalizing and easier said than done IMO. Every team is looking for this magical clutch player and its not exclusive to Edmonton. Teams down south have far more advantages to attract said players via tax break, warmer conditions, etc.

 

[voxel]

Nuge had a GREAT rookie year, especially at the start, he wasn't really able to build off it unfortunately

Shoulder injury.

What non-Oilers fans don't see is how he transformed his game from one-dimensional offensive player to two way player. He was Oilers leading PK center for many years (maybe 5?) in addition to his PP and ES minutes.

Just taking random 2015-2021 snapshot of his TOI shows he was the forward with the most SH TOI

NHL Stats

 

[Zirakzigil]

Very good deal for the Oilers. Surprised he didn’t demand more.

 

[thaman8765678]

Ahahahahahahaahaha

 

[SeanMoneyHands]

This guy shows up when the games matter most, clutch player. Good deal.