Ryan Nugent-Hopkins

Spawn

Something in the water
Feb 20, 2006
43,589
14,952
Edmonton
So, whats up with this kid?

He had one of the worst 2nd seasons for a first overall pick (at forward) we've seen in 20 years (only to be topped by Yakupov this year). Put up 4 goals in 40 games and only 24 points. It was an abysmal season offensively, but at least he was decent defensively.

So far this year his struggles have continued and seem compounded. Not only is he struggling offensively but his defensive game has been bad. Weak on the puck and making very poor reads.

Through 16 games this year he has 12 points and is -12. Last year the excuse was a bum shoulder. Well his shoulder is healthy now and he is still struggling to put up the points. He's on pace for an 20 goals and 60 points. One of the big reasons this team is struggling is that guys like Eberle, RNH and Yakupov can't put the puck in the back of the net. He hasn't scored a goal in 9 games. We can just call this a bad streak, but he couldn't buy a goal last year either. It's possible he just sucks at scoring.

Now 60 points doesn't seem terrible, but 3 years into their careers, 1st overall picks are supposed to be stars in the league. (This comparison is for forwards)

Hall: 50 points in 45 games
Tavares: 81 points in 82 games
Stamkos: 91 points in 82 games
Kane: 88 points in 82 games
Crosby: 72 points in 53 games
Ovechkin: 112 points in 82 games
Nash: 54 points in 54 games
Kovalchuk: 87 points in 81 games
Patrick Stefan: 23 points in 59 games
Lecavalier: 51 points in 68 games
Thornton: 60 points in 81 games
Daigle: 17 points in 50 games


You have to go back to Patrick Stefan for a 1st overall player who wasn't a PPG player in their 3rd season. Lecavalier and Thornton had similar offensive seasons as RNH is on pace for so there is of course some hope that he's just taking some time like these two. However, it is important I think to note that they were playing the early parts of the career during the dead puck era.

So what do we have in RNH? Is this a franchise player just waiting to bust out? Or is he trending more to be an okay 1st line center/elite 2nd line center? I'm not suggesting that he was the wrong pick, or that there was someone better, more just questioning what sort of potential he actually has. Because right now, flat out he hasn't been nearly good enough based on draft position and reasonable expectations.

It is concerning that with 3 first overall picks, Taylor Hall seems to be the only one who looks like full value, and even then, he's not really comparable to any of the guys picked in the 5-6 years before him.
 

GMofOilers

Registered User
Oct 15, 2007
15,664
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Mountains
The whole team is struggling. If Bryz can give this team average goaltending, I think most of this all goes away.
 

DisgruntledGoat*

Registered User
Dec 26, 2010
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27
The Oilers have ruined him. Hopefully he gets traded for magic beans sooner rather than later and blossoms somewhere else.

He's still a Tavares-level talent.
 

Spawn

Something in the water
Feb 20, 2006
43,589
14,952
Edmonton
The Oilers have ruined him. Hopefully he gets traded for magic beans sooner rather than later and blossoms somewhere else.

He's still a Tavares-level talent.

Based on what? Tavares has shown progression in his career. RNH has shown stagnation and regression.
 

Staghorn

Registered User
Jul 7, 2013
1,798
625
RNH is not even CLOSE to being a Taveres level talent... Wow. If John Taveres took a dump, his dump would be about the same talent level as RNH.. RNH was a periphery player before his injury, now he seems even weaker and lighter... Disaster as a 1st overall player cause now you're stuck with him.
 

Canovin

1% is the new 11.5%
Oct 27, 2010
17,384
8,101
780
I hope you guys know just about every players on the oilers are playing like crap. It's the system they're playing in. Can't single out one person.
 

Soundwave

Registered User
Mar 1, 2007
72,143
27,826
I think he'll be the best player of the kids once he reaches the age of 23/24 and fills out some. Hall doesn't have the hockey sense. He's coming off major shoulder surgery, once that generally doesn't work itself out until the following January or so.

He's not as good as Tavares, but Tavares is probably a top 5 player in the league (or darn close).
 

CupofOil

Knob Flavored Coffey
Aug 20, 2009
46,279
39,510
NYC
He's 20 ****ing years old and has been thrown to the wolves because the ****tard GM's refuse to supply him with veteran support and have given him 3 coaches in 3 years to learn from with 3 different systems. I don't think any young player could succeed in this ****hole of an organization.
Some of the comments in this thread are shameful. I know that the team has gone to **** but it seems like this board has gone to **** along with the team.
 

dustrock

Too Legit To Quit
Sep 22, 2008
8,360
981
Look at how long Columbus has worked with Johansen. It takes time.

He's the last guy I'd want to trade right now.
 

MetaOil1993

Registered User
Jun 22, 2012
1,997
1
Edmonton
He's 20 ****ing years old and has been thrown to the wolves because the ****tard GM's refuse to supply him with veteran support and have given him 3 coaches in 3 years to learn from with 3 different systems. I don't think any young player could succeed in this ****hole of an organization.
Some of the comments in this thread are shameful. I know that the team has gone to **** but it seems like this board has gone to **** along with the team.

This my gosh people :shakehead
 

Spawn

Something in the water
Feb 20, 2006
43,589
14,952
Edmonton
Look at how long Columbus has worked with Johansen. It takes time.

He's the last guy I'd want to trade right now.

It doesn't take time though... at least it doesn't with first overall picks. Not even sure why you bring up Ryan Johansen. He still looks like a huge flop imo.

And I'm not arguing for trading him (although if the right deal is available then you obviously pull the trigger. No one should be off the table at this point).
 

Brewster

Registered User
Mar 20, 2012
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0
Canada
Patience will pay off with a guy like RNH. He's not the type of guy you trade 2 years into his career.

Eberle, on the other hand......
 

DisgruntledGoat*

Registered User
Dec 26, 2010
4,301
27
RNH is not even CLOSE to being a Taveres level talent... Wow. If John Taveres took a dump, his dump would be about the same talent level as RNH.. RNH was a periphery player before his injury, now he seems even weaker and lighter... Disaster as a 1st overall player cause now you're stuck with him.

Do yourself a favour and look up what 'talent' actually means...
 

Comrade Blunderbore

Генерал Файлюра
Mar 30, 2010
1,761
2
КПЗ
RNH is not even CLOSE to being a Taveres level talent... Wow. If John Taveres took a dump, his dump would be about the same talent level as RNH.. RNH was a periphery player before his injury, now he seems even weaker and lighter... Disaster as a 1st overall player cause now you're stuck with him.

i bet John Tavares has taken quite a number of dumps in his lifetime. maybe we should draft some of those.
 

McDreamy

Losing credibility
Feb 25, 2009
2,023
237
Patience will pay off with a guy like RNH. He's not the type of guy you trade 2 years into his career.

Eberle, on the other hand......

Agreed. But unfortunately we have no chance of getting better until our first overalls are capable of handling their roles against other top players.
 

Gylf

Registered User
Dec 29, 2007
145
0
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is the best player on this team. But he's not ready to lead the team yet. The Oilers have to many struggling young players like him with little experience. He and the others could use a powerforward and/or a veteran starplayer to help them develop. At least a veteran coach.

This team and staff is just badly built.
 

damacles1156

Registered User
Feb 5, 2010
21,665
1,303
He is a boy playing amongst men in the Heavy Western Conference/Pacific Division.

Kopitar
Thorton
Getzlaf
Oli
Sedin
Hanzel

....Those are Men, seasoned Vets. RNH is going to struggle.
 

Meanashell11

Registered User
Jan 3, 2003
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Greenwich CT
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I actually cannot believe some of the comments here. He is an outstanding playmaker, his puck possession have improved mightily and his defensive game has improved light years all while facing some of the toughest assignments. He has literally been the best player on the ice for this team since he came back. He is also 20 years old for christ sakes. Just abysmal that the OP had to start this useless thread.
 

Bryanbryoil

Pray For Ukraine
Sep 13, 2004
85,960
34,082
He's 20 ****ing years old and has been thrown to the wolves because the ****tard GM's refuse to supply him with veteran support and have given him 3 coaches in 3 years to learn from with 3 different systems. I don't think any young player could succeed in this ****hole of an organization.
Some of the comments in this thread are shameful. I know that the team has gone to **** but it seems like this board has gone to **** along with the team.

Pretty much this, the last 2 guys that I worry about panning out on this team are RNH and Hall.

RNH will be making $1.2 million more than Sam Gagner for the next 2 years beyond this one, let that sink in for a minute. Gagner has been **** this season and besides a 25-30 game stretch last season has been **** his entire career. RNH has been doing pretty well offensively especially since our PP has been out of sorts this season and historically he has made hay on the PP.
 

Bryanbryoil

Pray For Ukraine
Sep 13, 2004
85,960
34,082
This season he has 2-7-9 at ES in 15 games or a 0.6 ES ppg.

The last 2 seasons he was at 0.325 ES ppg and 0.468 ES ppg.

His PP production on the other hand is way down at 0.2 PP ppg compared to 0.275 PP ppg and 0.371 PP ppg.

Not to mention how many EN goals he has likely been on the ice for. Not sure where to find that info but I'd think that there'd be at least 3-4 EN GA so far.
 

McGoMcD

Registered User
Aug 14, 2005
15,688
668
Edmonton, AB
Nuge is one of the few oilers I am not concerned with. At this point Hall and Nuge look like players you could build around. Yaks is the major concern at this point.
 

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