Having spent not one minute in medical school, you can pass off what my eyes are telling me as rank speculation, but I’d be surprised beyond words if Ryan Nugent-Hopkins isn’t ready to play when the Edmonton Oilers open a six-game road trip in Toronto Oct. 12.

It’s entirely possible, as I suggested today on Twitter, that Nugent-Hopkins and his surgically repaired shoulder will be medically cleared before then and he could see action as early as Monday against New Jersey, although a return Thursday against the Montreal Canadiens at Rexall Place seems a more likely bet.

There hasn’t been one word regarding a definite return date from Nugent-Hopkins, coach Dallas Eakins or Edmonton’s medical staff, but after RNH took a skate today that included full contact on the ice – he’s been taking controlled contact off the ice for a couple of weeks – it looks from where I sit like fans are about to get some good news.

Am I being too optimistic in pegging RNH’s return by the start of the road trip? Maybe, but I don’t think so based on similar cases and what I’ve seen over years watching the Oilers rehab players who are coming back from the same type of shoulder surgery RNH had last April.

While neither RNH nor Eakins offered up anything concrete today, and a return date could be a moving target based on how the shoulder reacts to stepped up contact, I’m confident No. 93 will be back, as I’ve written before, closer to Oct. 1 than Nov. 1. The question now is how much closer? Mark me down for Oct. 10.

"We’ve been trying to bring him along slowly but he’s been active in some drills. Maybe not as active," Eakins said today.

"The other thing that happens in practice, too, is that because he’s been a part of our group every day, the other players forget. They don’t think, ‘Hey, maybe not so hard on him,’ but the guys were competing pretty hard and he was right in the middle of it today.”

If Nugent-Hopkins can stay in "the middle of it" for another week without any pain or swelling, and with Sam Gagner already skating with a full face-shield on to protect his busted jaw, there is reason for optimism – timely, after watching the Oilers cough up a two-goal lead in a 5-4 loss to Winnipeg on opening night.

My guess is you’ll get the first half of any news regarding RNH and Gagner by the time the Habs come calling Thursday. Stay tuned.