The third-longest-tenured Oiler in franchise history, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, is having an outstanding playoff run. After 13 seasons with the Edmonton Oilers, Nugent-Hopkins is showcasing impressive numbers in the 2024 playoffs ahead of Monday’s crucial Game 7. He has accumulated 14 points in just 11 games, quietly dominating the postseason and achieving new career highs.
There is curiosity about whether Nugent-Hopkins can reach 700 career points in the NHL this season.
Historically, Nugent-Hopkins has struggled to replicate his regular-season impact in the playoffs. This season, however, he has matched his career-high playoff production in five fewer games. With 3 goals and 11 assists in just 11 games, he is averaging 1.27 points per game, surpassing his previous best of 0.875 points per game during the 2022 playoffs when he had 14 points in 16 games. Nugent-Hopkins has clearly elevated his game, and the results are evident.
For the first time in his career, Nugent-Hopkins has a positive plus/minus in the playoffs, currently sitting at +3, which ranks him fifth on the Oilers this postseason. In contrast, he recorded a -6 in 12 games during last season’s playoffs, highlighting his significant improvement.
Nugent-Hopkins has responded to criticism about his physicality in the playoffs. During the 2024 playoffs, he has delivered 20 hits, averaging 1.8 hits per game—a new career high for physical play in both the postseason and regular season. Last postseason, he only had 14 hits in 12 games. This increased physicality has allowed him to better control the puck, as evidenced by only one giveaway in this year’s playoffs.
Nugent-Hopkins has made remarkable improvements to his playoff performance, tying career highs in fewer games and becoming more impactful through increased physical play. On a talented roster, his contributions have been crucial to the Oilers’ playoff success. As they head into tonight’s sudden-death Game 7, Nugent-Hopkins aims to continue his impressive form.
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