The Edmonton Oilers are currently focused on trying to win their first Stanley Cup since 1990 as they prepare to face off against the Vegas Golden Knights in the second round of the postseason. While Calvin Pickard has been playing extremely well since taking over for Stuart Skinner, the team may have to make a decision on Skinner’s future and make a move for a new goaltender to pair alongside Pickard. One suggestion was recently made that they should target Boston Bruins’ Jeremy Swayman, but the main issue with a potential deal there is Swayman’s $8.25 cap hit and the Oilers’ lack of cap space with the need to still bring back some pending free agents.
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One suggestion was also made to fix the money issue, and it was to trade forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. The issue with trying to move him is his trade protection makes him nearly impossible to move unless he chooses to waive the clause in his contract, and the other thing is the risk behind moving a player who is on a team-friendly contract and fits well with the current scheme the Oilers have been running.
Nugent-Hopkins, who is 32 years old, has a $5.125 million cap hit and is extended through the 2028-29 season. This season, he scored 20 goals and added 29 assists for 49 points through 78 games. Throughout his career, he has scored 271 goals and added 477 assists for 748 points through 959 games. This postseason, he has scored three goals and added two assists for five points through six games. Throughout his playoff career, he has scored 20 goals and added 46 assists for 66 points through 80 games.
Is a Nugent-Hopkins Trade Realistic?
No.
Let’s be honest, Nugent-Hopkins has slowed down offensively as he gets older, but how often do you find a guy willing to take a massive pay cut in the prime of his career to stay with one team? It’s not common, but the Oilers found somebody in Nugent-Hopkins who took less money to stick around in Edmonton, and fans adored the idea of keeping him forever. Some fans like to point out he had one random 104-point season in the 2022-23 campaign and hasn’t found that since, but realistically, being able to produce 40-60 points a season is all the team expects out of him, considering he plays a third-line centre role most of the time.
The only way a deal for Nugent-Hopkins ever comes to fruition is either if he asks for a trade, or a goaltender like Ilya Sorokin becomes available in the offseason, and I don’t see either of those two things happening. The Oilers need to gauge the market for goaltenders, and it would make sense that the Bruins could ask for Nugent-Hopkins in return for Swayman if that’s the route they tried to take, but if that was the asking price, I would assume they would take their business elsewhere.
The Oilers have just over $9.4 million in cap space to work with heading into the offseason, which they will likely have to increase if they want to make a splash for a goaltender and get everyone re-signed. They could look to offload Adam Henrique or Viktor Arvidsson if needed, but I would assume their first plan of attack is to look for a cost-effective addition between the pipes that is an upgrade on Skinner. They have plenty of time before they shift their focus to next season, so for now, let’s let them focus on bringing a championship back to Canada.
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