Ryan Nugent-Hopkins

[Spawn]

Besides Perron, Arcobello, Gordon and Bryzgalov, I'd say that no one has played up to potential. He is playing well defensively but he needs to get stronger to take his game to the next level.

RNH is a black hole defensively this year. Missed assignments, weak on pucks and awful exiting the zone. It's not about him getting stronger. It's about him not being content to skate around the edges of the rink and trying to feather wrist shots through 4 players from the half boards on the powerplay. Take the puck into traffic and get your nose dirty.

For all the crap Eberle takes around here, he, Perron and Hall at least all go to the center of the ice to try and get scoring chances. RNH is content to just circle back to the boards to try and look for that sweet pass time and time again. Every once in awhile he'll sneak one through. It almost never works. Being stronger isn't going to make him play less like a puss.

The only thing he did positively last night was keeping that puck in in the dying seconds and throwing it on the net. That was a heads up play not to look for the silly cross ice pass..

 

[Replacement*]

Why you need to bring Gagner into it Bryan?

If you want to buy CupOfOil's post then everything in it (word for word, except its five coaches instead of three for Gags) applies to Gagner. But no. When someone makes that post in defense of Gagner you call it excuses. You want to emphasize every year of Gagner's career and act like he's played six seasons on a real NHL team. Are you going to consider these first three stunted seasons for RNH when you make your evaluation of this player in two year's time? If so then why can't you see that the same applies to Gagner.

If you spend seven years in a cult are you better or worse off than the guy who arrived three years ago? More, or less to blame for your blindness?

Glad I wasn't the only one that noticed this double standard.

it is obviously a different school of thought applied to the different players. Even made more interesting because RNH has had the far easier time here playing with relative world beaters and barely ever being away from their side.

Gagner goes into the league playing with the likes of Cogs, Nillson, spent a year babysitting Omark, 2 with Paajarvi, and theres hundreds of posts in that Gagner thread on why he hasn't improved when other player, who has the benefit of Mr Hall and Mr Eberle every game, every year, is regressing.

Just watch RNH Out there lately. Many games a non factor except with an enormous 35GA on the season. Where the mathematicians this year telling me what a great defensive player Nuge is?

I didn't buy it last year and I'm not now. This kid really has to gear it up. He was a shadow out there in a game against the injured, sick, tired, Calgary Flames.

So whats wrong?

 

[Replacement*]

Besides Perron, Arcobello, Gordon and Bryzgalov, I'd say that no one has played up to potential. He is playing well defensively but he needs to get stronger to take his game to the next level.

RNH has the 3rd worst GA of forwards in the league. Tied with Eberle actually.

He's been awful Defensively and all the noise that he was rounding into a fine defensive forward we saw last leason on this board was the unsubstantiated rubbish I proclaimed it to be at the time.

A lot of claims last year were being made about RNH's prowess in own zone on limited sample. I think there was a want to percieve him as that type of developing allround player. Perhaps to overlook how inconsequential Nuge was last year in opposition zone.

 

[McGoMcD]

RNH has the 3rd worst GA of forwards in the league. Tied with Eberle actually.

He's been awful Defensively and all the noise that he was rounding into a fine defensive forward we saw last leason on this board was the unsubstantiated rubbish I proclaimed it to be at the time.

A lot of claims last year were being made about RNH's prowess in own zone on limited sample. I think there was a want to percieve him as that type of developing allround player. Perhaps to overlook how inconsequential Nuge was last year in opposition zone.

Well, this makes it sort of chicken and egg, but of course he is. HE is the C that plays the most minutes for the 2nd worst team in Hockey. it goes with out saying. Which basically just begs the question, so is it him, or the rest of the team. Just saying he is on the ice for lots of goals against doesn't prove anything.

 

[Replacement*]

RNH is a black hole defensively this year. Missed assignments, weak on pucks and awful exiting the zone. It's not about him getting stronger. It's about him not being content to skate around the edges of the rink and trying to feather wrist shots through 4 players from the half boards on the powerplay. Take the puck into traffic and get your nose dirty.

For all the crap Eberle takes around here, he, Perron and Hall at least all go to the center of the ice to try and get scoring chances. RNH is content to just circle back to the boards to try and look for that sweet pass time and time again. Every once in awhile he'll sneak one through. It almost never works. Being stronger isn't going to make him play less like a puss.

The only thing he did positively last night was keeping that puck in in the dying seconds and throwing it on the net. That was a heads up play not to look for the silly cross ice pass..

Very much a perimeter player right now. I watch Nuges game lately and think "this is it" this is what you think a number one draft pick in the world should be bringing?

Hall defined his NHL game and what he would be and provided several glimpses of that in his first year at the age of 18. Nuge did some of that in first year and his stamp on games hasn't really been seen since. How many dominating performances, how many instances of rising above opposition?

Of Hall, Eberle, Nuge, Ryan is certainly behind and a considerable way behind. Don't look at pts either. The majority being dependent on the production that Hall and Eberle tend to drive on that line.

 

[Hopelesslucicfan]

Nuge is going to be great. Just my opinion. Still very young and came into the season from major surgery.

agreed, of all the young guns, nuge is the only one i'm not worried about. If it came down to completely rebuilding again, and we had to pick 1 player to build around, it would be nuge for me.

 

[Replacement*]

Well, this makes it sort of chicken and egg, but of course he is. HE is the C that plays the most minutes for the 2nd worst team in Hockey. it goes with out saying. Which basically just begs the question, so is it him, or the rest of the team. Just saying he is on the ice for lots of goals against doesn't prove anything.

Of course that part of it gets looked at but still, on a defensively weak club its not like RNH is withstanding in any way.

Look at Gordon on the same team and light years better. Look at Arcobello whos been better than RNH. (yeah, to this point in season better than Gagner as well)

Lets look at yesterday. Playing a depleted team with good players out of lineup and suffering with the flu. Calgary still able to get the W. Calgary still able to completely shutdown RNH, Eberle. Although Jordan was at least noticeable.

Thing is Nuge is being a shadow in opposition end is being deplorable in own end. He's a number 1 draft pick 3 yrs into his career that signed a 6M contract, that is apparently content to be doing this little. I'm not even seeing urgency and compete.

Its disappointing in Nuge because I didn't expect the latter.

 

[Replacement*]

Pretty mediocre game from him I agree but not awful imo he was also the one who saved the last play from going out from your boy Gagner making an absolutely Pejorative Slured play in the last 20 seconds.

Being on for both goals against? Did you see the first goal against? was Ferences fault followed by a Dubbie special. The second one I agree he tried to do too much and I also thought majority of the team was worse than him. Hall with 6 or 7 blatant giveaways, Yak the same, Eberle was invisible, Perron was mediocre

Nuge? Gagner?

One of these Centers is a number one draft pick in the world playing with other highly touted players and consistently getting to play with the best players on this team.

This org gives Nuge the best players, units, it can afford Ryan and always have.

They've never even tempted to place Nuge in a position of having to work for anything. Like for instance GAgner has seen every year of his career.

 

[Kepler 186f]

RNH is a black hole defensively this year. Missed assignments, weak on pucks and awful exiting the zone. It's not about him getting stronger. It's about him not being content to skate around the edges of the rink and trying to feather wrist shots through 4 players from the half boards on the powerplay. Take the puck into traffic and get your nose dirty.

For all the crap Eberle takes around here, he, Perron and Hall at least all go to the center of the ice to try and get scoring chances. RNH is content to just circle back to the boards to try and look for that sweet pass time and time again. Every once in awhile he'll sneak one through. It almost never works. Being stronger isn't going to make him play less like a puss.

The only thing he did positively last night was keeping that puck in in the dying seconds and throwing it on the net. That was a heads up play not to look for the silly cross ice pass..

Again wrong. Hemsky is the one that kept in at the point and put it on net.

 

[sepHF]

So far the best RNH has played was his first 30 games. It's been a bit of a struggle since then. When was the last time you saw him and Eberle connect on a cross ice pass? They were doing that with regularity earlier in their careers. I guess other teams have scouted and figured RNH out.

 

[Captain Catatomic]

Baby Nuge has been so much better since his surgery. I have no doubt he will hit 100ish pts in his hayday as Mr. The Nuge.

 

[Bryanbryoil]

Nuge? Gagner?

One of these Centers is a number one draft pick in the world playing with other highly touted players and consistently getting to play with the best players on this team.

This org gives Nuge the best players, units, it can afford Ryan and always have.

They've never even tempted to place Nuge in a position of having to work for anything. Like for instance GAgner has seen every year of his career.

If Gagner had to work for it this year he'd be a HS, what a load of crap that statement is. As bad as RNH may be at the moment (IMO he's far from a bad player right now) Gagner is a garbage fire in comparison.

 

[Replacement*]

If Gagner had to work for it this year he'd be a HS, what a load of crap that statement is. As bad as RNH may be at the moment (IMO he's far from a bad player right now) Gagner is a garbage fire in comparison.

Please tell me when Nuge has ever been benched, scratched, demoted, ever on this club.

He's had the best players on the club to play with nearly every minute, every game, every year.

Yet Nuge has 10friggen goals to his credit in his last 80NHL GP. Astounding fallback after a hot early start to his career which has never been revisited.

Heres an interesting stat. Nuge scored 10 goals in his first 22NHL games shooting out of a cannon with those numbers.

Can't you see the massive fallback?

I don't know why you can't see what I'm stating with this.

Do your really think Gagner would look like "garbage" in comparison given Nuges customary assignment with two players that make a living around ppg and that drive most of the play? What would Nuge look like being saddled with NHL pretenders like Omark and Paajarvi for complete seasons.

I'm glad at this point we don't ever find out.

It is a little odd that our second line Center, that gets scrubs, second line minutes, second line PP alotment has more goals, more pts than Rnh this season and last combined and in less GP.

 

[The Bored Man]

Okay, so we can add RNH to the list of people to blame for Gagner's failures.

 

[Replacement*]

Okay, so we can add RNH to the list of people to blame for Gagner's failures.

Bored eh?

 

[ZJuice]

I think the reason why RNH isn't getting alot of crap for his play is because.. He's invisible.
Before when he was on the ice you knew he was, now when you see him it's like.. "oh Hopkins is on the ice"

 

[Senor Catface]

Okay, so we can add RNH to the list of people to blame for Gagner's failures.

It's never Gagners fault is it? It's easier to blame everyone else.

 

[Spawn]

Why are we talking about Gagner? How good Gagner plays is sort of irrelevant to how good RNH plays.

One of these guys is a #1 overall pick. He needs to start living up to his draft position.

Gagner's successes/failures as an Edmonton Oiler don't effect how RNH is turning out.

 

[Joey Moss]

The Oilers need to figure out that teams are aware that RNH is the set up man on the PP and they know where he likes to dish it. Either to Eberle on the far side or Schultz at the top. He's too predictable. Need to put him in a different spot on the PP.

 

[SeriousBusiness]

RNH is a smart player, tons of raw talent, he'll find his game.

 

[SoftDumps]

Why are we talking about Gagner? How good Gagner plays is sort of irrelevant to how good RNH plays.

One of these guys is a #1 overall pick. He needs to start living up to his draft position.

Gagner's successes/failures as an Edmonton Oiler don't effect how RNH is turning out.

I agree here. Gagner is a non-factor when discussing RNH. I will say I am the least worried about RNH down the road relative to any Oiler not named Hall. He is gonna be a very good #1 centre in this league, of that I have no doubt. He has had a tough last year and a half to be sure, but his smarts are on another level and he will figure out how to consistently put up points and defend better. That is all.

 

[Mr Forever]

Bored eh?

It gets boring when you manage to hi-jack almost every thread into a Gagner discussion.

 

[Spawn]

Again wrong. Hemsky is the one that kept in at the point and put it on net.

There you go... he didn't even manage to accomplish that.

 

[Oilers4life1987]

Omg ppl chill out, he's improving in other facets of his game. Like face offs, i watched the game last night n found he did good. He's still developping so give the kid a break. He's in the nhl for a reason unlike most of us.

 

[harpoon]

It's never Gagners fault is it? It's easier to blame everyone else.

I dunno PVB. I see Gagner's faults. Hell anyone who ever played hockey can see them.

I guess I approach the fan experience differently than some. I try to find things to like about the players on the team I cheer for. Even the bad ones. I was one of a very few posters who cheered hard on this site for Zach Stortini. I didn't do it because I thought Stortini was a fine hockey player or a great pugilist, I did it because I admired the heck out of a twenty one year old kid who came up from the AHL to a team trying to lose on purpose, and he still wanted to be in the show so bad that he was willing to drop the gloves with anyone, on a nightly basis, in games that meant nothing.

I find I enjoy the games more when I'm not actively waiting for player x to screw up so I can post something negative about him on hfoil. So I hope it doesn't offend anyone if I keep on cheering for Gagner, and Eberle and Hemsky and Petry etc when the wisdom of the board has already determined them to be garbage.