If you’re my age, I’m sure many of you have spoken with someone who experienced the Edmonton Oilers’ Stanley Cup glory days firsthand. Maybe you are that person.

Ask them about those powerhouse teams of the ’80s, and when they talk about their favourite players from that time, there’s no shortage to choose from. Players like Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier, Paul Coffey and Grant Fuhr immediately come to mind, and when they’re reminiscing, you’ll often hear genuine joy in their voice and a feeling of nostalgia.

I was born near the tail end of that era, too young to realize what was going on. So, for me, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is likely going to be that player 15 or 20 years from now; when I reminisce about past Oilers, I’ll tell the younger generation the tale of the ‘Nuge.’

I’ve been able to follow his career from the very start, and I’ll follow it until the very end. I’ll tell my kids things like, “He went from dangling the legendary Nick Lidstrom in his rookie season to becoming a two-way centreman because he knew that’s what was best for the team!”

Or, “He was the jack of all trades for the Oilers. He bled orange and blue!”

Having said that, it’s hard to believe Nugent-Hopkins is about to enter his 16th NHL season in 2026-27.

The 33-year-old has recorded 804 points in 1,031 regular-season games, and last season, he became the first Oiler to play 1,000 games exclusively with the franchise after being selected first overall in 2011. On Jan. 18, he was honoured with a tribute before the game against the St. Louis Blues, and nearly six minutes into the game, the longest-tenured Oiler found the back of the net, scoring what would eventually be the game-winner in a 5-0 win.

When his career is over, and hopefully that’s not for a very long time, he’ll go down as one of the best players to ever wear the Oil Drop. And next season, Nugent-Hopkins is on pace to break some significant Oilers records and climb the franchise’s all-time rankings in multiple categories. Here’s a look at what’s ahead.

As mentioned, Nugent-Hopkins will enter his 16th NHL season in 2026-27, and in doing so, he will surpass two of the franchise’s most recognizable names and become the Oilers’ all-time leader in seasons played.

One of the players Nugent-Hopkins would surpass is one of the franchise’s most defining faces of the late 1990s and early 2000s, Ryan Smyth, one of the most beloved players in Oilers history.

Smyth played 19 NHL seasons full of grit, guts and greasy goals, including 15 seasons with Edmonton in three different stints, with his first season coming in 1994-95 and his last in 2013-14.

The other player he’ll surpass is Hall of Famer Kevin Lowe, who was the Oilers’ first-ever NHL draft pick in 1979 and a big part of the Oilers’ dynasty teams in the 1980s. Lowe was a solid defender and won five Stanley Cups. And he later took on coaching, general manager, vice chairman and ambassador roles with the Oilers.

For Nugent-Hopkins, taking over the most seasons played in Oilers history shows his dedication to the club, and passing both Smyth and Lowe for the most seasons played with the Oilers will be a significant accomplishment in itself, considering how monumental both of those former players have been to the franchise and the city of Edmonton.

Last season, Nugent-Hopkins surpassed Smyth to take over sole possession of second place for most games played when he suited up against the Chicago Blackhawks on Nov. 1, 2025, in a 3-2 Oilers OT win.

Next season, ‘the Nuge’ has a chance to take over the No. 1 spot for most games played in Oilers franchise history.

Lowe is currently the franchise’s all-time leader in games played with 1,037, while Nugent-Hopkins currently sits at 1,031 games. If nothing gets in the way, the Oilers’ first overall pick from the 2011 NHL Draft will surpass Lowe for the most games played in Oilers history on Oct. 15 against the Utah Mammoth.

Through 15 seasons, soon to be 10 head coaches, and many ups and downs, Nugent-Hopkins has remained a constant in Edmonton. Now, he’s on the verge of breaking the franchise record for games played, and there may not be a more deserving player.

There are three guarantees in life: death, taxes, and Nugent-Hopkins scoring low blocker. And with 291 career goals, plenty of his tallies have found the back of the net through that spot.

His 291 career goals rank eighth in Oilers history, and if/when he scores six goals next season, he’ll surpass Smyth’s 296 tallies and take over seventh place on the Oilers’ all-time goals list.

Next up would be Mark Messier, who sits sixth with 392 goals. However, passing ‘Moose’ may be a little tougher, as Nugent-Hopkins would have to average at least 20 goals a season heading toward his 40s.

Nevertheless, Nugent-Hopkins being on the brink of passing Smyth on the Oilers’ all-time goals list is a great feat when you consider what Smyth meant to the franchise.

Smyth bled blue and orange, battled for nearly every puck that crossed the goal line, and was the face of the franchise for much of his time in Edmonton. The fact that Nugent-Hopkins is about to pass him, after Smyth led the Oilers in goals for seven of his 15 seasons, puts into perspective how special Nugent-Hopkins’ career has been.

Another feat Nugent-Hopkins will almost certainly accomplish next season is passing Mark Messier on the all-time power-play goals list.

The Burnaby, B.C. native currently ranks eighth in power-play goals in Oilers history, with 88 PP tallies in his career. Should he score one more, he’ll tie Messier’s 89 power-play tallies, and two more goals would put him in sole possession of seventh place all-time.

Overall, Nugent-Hopkins still has plenty of hockey left to play, and hopefully the Oilers listen to Baggedmilk’s mantra to “Keep Nuge Forever” so he can continue climbing the record books. But it’s pretty special to think that one day, we’ll look back on Nugent-Hopkins’ career with the same fondness so many Oilers fans have for the legends of the ’80s, with his name sitting alongside Gretzky, Messier, Lowe and Coffey in the Oilers’ record books.

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