Edmonton Oilers center Ryan Nugent-Hopkins was injured in Monday’s game against the Florida Panthers. He left the game and did not return. The team announced that he wasn’t coming back in-game.
Nugent-Hopkins appeared to have been hurt blocking a shot. That was confirmed by the team following the game, when they announced that it was a hand injury and that he’ll be out “long-term.”
The Oilers won the game 4-2 and Nugent-Hopkins had an assist in the opening frame. It’s another point in a strong run of assists for the forward, but he’s without a goal in his last 16 contests.
We don’t yet know how “long-term” the injury will be, but it could alter trade deadline plans for the Oilers and other teams. He may have been on the market, with reports out that GM Peter Chiarelli had dangled Nugent-Hopkins to Nashville in a proposal that included Seth Jones heading to Western Canada. That may have been enough to have other teams calling to ask the price for the young center.
The 22-year-old has eight goals and 30 points in 46 games this season.
Here’s video of the moment when the injury occurred:
