Is Ryan Nugent-Hopkins Destined For The Hockey Hall Of Fame? – Hockey Writers – Edmonton Oilers

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is a fan favorite 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 significant 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. Another captain with the Oilers for more than ten seasons and counting, his two-man play and natural leadership skills have long made him an integral part of Edmonton’s roster and one whose versatility only adds to his value. Having scored 700 regular season points with the Oilers and another 61 in the playoffs, his importance to the team cannot be understated.

Approaching the 900-game milestone at just 31 years old, Nugent-Hopkins still has a lot of hockey ahead of him. Under contract through the 2028-29 season and carrying an annual cap hit of just $5.1 million, he is on pace to eclipse 1,000 games played in several seasons and could approach or surpass 1,500 in his NHL career. . If all those games come with Edmonton, he will be remembered as one of the greatest Oilers of all time for his long tenure and incredible record with the team.

Refer to the Nugent-Hopkins Case

The Oilers’ all-time games played leader is Hall of Fame inductee Kevin Lowe, who appeared in 1,037 games during his 15 years with the team. Entering the 2024-25 campaign, Nugent-Hopkins is third on Edmonton’s all-time games played list with 881 appearances. With five years left on his current deal, he could be eligible for another 400 or more games with the Oilers, and show a level of consistency that could make him the team’s all-time games played leader by a wide margin. Furthermore, he will only be 35 years old when his current contract expires. With most of the game’s best players hitting the ice well into their late 30s and early 40s in this day and age, he could push himself into the NHL’s top 20 games played list if he can stay healthy, which is reserved for those who have appeared in 1,500 or more games. .

Although Nugent-Hopkins has remained healthy throughout his career thus far and has appeared in a large number of games as a result, he has been efficient and consistently productive in the contests he has played. With his first point of the 2024-25 season, he reached the 700-point mark and solidified his standing as the seventh leading scorer in Oilers history. Although he has more work to do than Glenn Anderson, whose 906 points currently rank as the fifth-best in Edmonton history, Nugent-Hopkins could surpass the six-time Stanley Cup champion given the five years left on his current player. agreement.

A 0.79-point-per-game (P/G) player throughout his career, it should only take Nugent-Hopkins nearly 250 games to pass Anderson on the Oilers’ all-time scoring list. Fresh off two of the most successful seasons of his career to date and regularly skating alongside Connor McDavid in a strong Edmonton lineup, he could challenge Mark Messier and his 1,034 points on the Oilers’ all-time scoring list in his first career start. the day is coming to an end.

Related: Oilers’ Ryan Nugent-Hopkins Records 700th NHL Point

Perhaps the most notable omission from Nugent-Hopkins’ Hall of Fame case, thus far, is his lack of major awards. While a loaded trophy case isn’t a requirement to make it to the Hall of Fame, having some hardware from a long and storied career certainly doesn’t hurt. 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 doesn’t have the hardware to catch the attention of the Hall of Fame Induction Committee.

It is important to mention, however, that a number of famous players have been inducted into the Hall of Fame over the years who did not receive many awards during their illustrious career. Of note are the two major Oilers mentioned above; Anderson and Lowe. Anderson did not win a single individual award during his incredible career, while Lowe managed to pick up the King Clancy Trophy at one point. Sure, they were both members of Edmonton’s incredible dynasty in the 1980s and earned six Stanley Cups apiece 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 he may not consider Nugent-Hopkins a legitimate contender to one day make it to the Hall of Fame, as we’ve seen, his case is much stronger than many initially believed. On the verge of becoming one of the longest tenured and leading scorers in Oilers history, his consistency and leadership skills have long earned the admiration of his teammates and Edmonton fans.

If Nugent-Hopkins can stay healthy and play more than five years in the NHL, he will undoubtedly have put together one of the quietest yet most successful careers in NHL history in recent memory. Although his play will dictate the chances of him one day being inducted into the Hall of Fame, it is clear that he is playing at a pace that will get him considered for selection. With the Oilers in winning mode now and on the verge of capturing their first Stanley Cup since 1990, a championship or two could be just what Nugent-Hopkins needs to cement himself as one of the game’s greats.