Should the Oilers sell high on Ryan Nugent-Hopkins this summer?

The 2022-23 season was not just a successful one for Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, it was the best of his career.

The Edmonton Oilers forward was one of just 11 skaters to hit the 100-point mark, registering career highs of 37 goals and 104 points in 82 games. It was simply an outstanding year for a player who had never recorded 70+ points in any season prior.

Despite the excellent season, the 30-year-old struggled in the playoffs. Often forced to be the driver of his own line due to Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl being paired together, Nugent-Hopkins managed just two even-strength points in 12 games. As a result of his disappointing performance, some are beginning to question whether the Oilers should move him while his value is this high.

As wild as it may seem to move a player coming off of a 104-point season, it is important to note that Nugent-Hopkins’s year was heavily inflated by the Oilers’ outstanding power play. Of those 104 points, just 47 of them came at even strength, which ranked 55th amongst all NHLers.

While his offensive touch certainly provided value to the Oilers this season, this roster has many other offensive guns to support McDavid and Draisaitl, like Zach Hyman and Evander Kane. Their issues are on the back end, and a Nugent-Hopkins trade may be able to help fix that problem.

Nugent-Hopkins is on a deal with six more seasons remaining with a friendly cap hit of $5.125 million. Given the year he is coming off of, that contract should have some serious value on the open market. That said, he controls his own fate in this situation, as his contract does include a no-movement clause.

One team that he may have interest in joining, given their success over the years, is the Boston Bruins. As Jimmy Murphy of Boston Hockey Now speculated, the Bruins could be looking for centremen on the market given the uncertainty surrounding Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci.

Of course, what the Bruins would be willing to give up in return would be the deciding factor as to whether or not the Oilers show interest. Would they consider moving Hampus Lindholm? Probably not, but perhaps Brandon Carlo and another piece or two could work for both parties.

Another team that may be interested is the Carolina Hurricanes. Despite being one of the league’s better teams for several seasons, they have not yet been able to win a Stanley Cup due to a lack of finishing.

Nugent-Hopkins would provide a significant boost to their overall offence while also being a major upgrade over Jesperi Kotkaniemi as their second-line centre. The Hurricanes also have a plethora of talent on their blue line, including Brett Pesce, who would be of serious interest to the Oilers if a contract extension were to be worked out.

As proven by their 3.67 goals per game during this year’s playoffs, the Oilers don’t have trouble putting the puck in the net. However, their 3.50 goals against during that same span prove that help is needed on the defensive side of things. Whether through the Bruins or elsewhere, the Oilers would be wise to explore Nugent-Hopkins’ trade value. After all, it will likely never be this high again.

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