Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is a fan favourite in Oil Country.
Drafted by the Edmonton Oilers first overall in the 2011 NHL Draft, Nugent-Hopkins’ contributions to his team have been consistent and invaluable over the years. Entering the 2024-25 NHL campaign, the native of Burnaby, British Columbia, had skated in nearly 900 regular season games with the Oilers in addition to more than 70 postseason contests. An alternate captain with the Oilers for more than ten seasons and counting, his two-way play and natural leadership abilities have long made him a crucial component of Edmonton’s roster and one whose versatility only adds to his value. Having notched 700 regular season points with the Oilers and another 61 in the playoffs, his importance to the team can’t be understated.
Nearing the 900-game plateau at the age of just 31 years old, Nugent-Hopkins still has a considerable amount of hockey ahead of himself. Under contract through the 2028-29 season and carrying a team-friendly annual cap hit of just $5.1 million, he’s on track to eclipse 1,000 games played in a few seasons’ time and could very well come close to or exceed 1,500 in his NHL career. If those games all come with the Edmonton, he’ll be remembered as one of the greatest Oilers of all time for his extensive tenure and impressive track record with the team.
Stating Nugent-Hopkins’ Case
The Oilers’ leader in all-time games played is Hall of Fame inductee Kevin Lowe, who appeared in 1,037 contests during his 15 years with the team. Entering the 2024-25 campaign, Nugent-Hopkins stood third on Edmonton’s list of all-time games played with 881 appearances. With five years remaining on his current deal, he could very well suit up in another 400 games or more with the Oilers, and showcase a level of consistency that would make him the team’s all-time games played leader by a wide margin. In addition, he’ll only be 35 years old when his current contract expires. With many of the game’s great players taking to the ice well into their late 30s and early 40s in this day and age, he could push himself towards and into the NHL’s top-20 list of games played leaders if he’s able to stay healthy, which is reserved for those who have appeared in 1,500 contests or more.
While Nugent-Hopkins has remained relatively healthy throughout his career to date and has appeared in a whopping number of games as a result, he’s also been consistently effective and productive in the contests he plays. With his first point of the 2024-25 season, he reached the 700 career points plateau and cemented his standing as the seventh highest-scoring player of all-time in Oilers history. While he has considerable work to do to surpass Hall of Fame inductee Glenn Anderson, whose 906 points currently rank fifth-best in Edmonton’s history, Nugent-Hopkins could very well overtake the six-time Stanley Cup champion given the five years remaining on his current contract.
A 0.79 points-per-game (P/G) player throughout his career, it should only take Nugent-Hopkins about 250 games to overtake Anderson on the Oilers’ all-time scoring list. Fresh off of two of the most successful seasons of his career to date and regularly skating alongside Connor McDavid in a potent Edmonton lineup, he could very well challenge Mark Messier and his 1,034 points on the Oilers’ all-time scoring list when his career one day comes to a close.
Related: Oilers’ Ryan Nugent-Hopkins Records 700th NHL Point
Perhaps the most notable omission from Nugent-Hopkins’ Hall of Fame case, to date, is his lack of major awards. While a loaded trophy case isn’t a prerequisite for landing in the Hall of Fame, owning hardware from a long and storied career certainly doesn’t pose any harm. Although he was named to the All-Rookie Team following his sophomore campaign, finished second in Calder Trophy voting to Gabriel Landeskog, and was selected to the All-Star Game in 2015, he lacks the hardware that will garner the attention of the Hall of Fame’s Induction Committee.
It’s important to mention, however, that plenty of notable players have been inducted into the Hall of Fame over the years who didn’t claim numerous awards during their illustrious careers. Of note are two Oilers greats referenced above; Anderson and Lowe. Anderson didn’t win a single individual award during his incredible career, while Lowe only managed to take home the King Clancy Trophy on one occasion. Sure, both were members of Edmonton’s incredible dynasty of the 1980s and claimed six Stanley Cups each as a result, but they’re also proof that a long, consistent, and productive career can be more than enough to land in the Hall of Fame.
Hockey Hall of Famer, or Not?
While most likely don’t consider Nugent-Hopkins a legitimate contender to one day land in the Hall of Fame, as we’ve seen, his case is much stronger than many might have originally believed. On track to become one of the longest-tenured and highest-scoring players in Oilers history, his consistency and leadership abilities have long garnered the praise of his teammates and Edmonton’s fanbase.
If Nugent-Hopkins can remain healthy and play upwards of five more years in the NHL, he’ll have arguably put together one of the quietest yet most successful careers in NHL history in recent memory. While his play will, of course, dictate his chances of one day being inducted into the Hall of Fame, it’s abundantly clear that he’s playing at a pace that will see him garner significant consideration for selection. With the Oilers in win-now mode and on the cusp of capturing their first Stanley Cup since 1990, a championship or two could prove to be exactly what Nugent-Hopkins needs to enshrine himself as one of the game’s greats.
