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What will Ryan Nugent-Hopkins’ role be in 2026-27? | 31 Oilers Questions (Day 4)

Photo credit: Perry Nelson-Imagn Images

By Ryley Delaney

Aug 5, 2026, 13:00 EDTUpdated: Aug 5, 2026, 13:40 EDT

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This August, Oilersnation will ask one question about every Edmonton Oilers player projected to be on the 2026-27 roster in preparation for the upcoming season. From Connor McDavid to Mattias Janmark, let’s ask some questions.

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins’ career has flown by, and the longest-tenured Edmonton Oilers player is about to enter his 16th season in the National Hockey League.

Drafted first overall in 2011, the Burnaby product hasn’t produced like a first-overall player is expected to, but he’s still had some productive seasons. Who could forget his 2022-23 season, where he scored a career-best 37 goals and 104 points in 82 games?

He was still a productive player in 2025-26, but at the age of 33, what is the longest-tenured player’s role in 2026-27? That’s what we’ll look to answer in today’s edition of 31 Oilers Questions.

What will Ryan Nugent-Hopkins’ role be in 2026-27?

On face value, Nugent-Hopkins had a strong 2025-26 season, scoring 20 goals and 56 points in 72 games. If he were to stay at the same pace and play all 82 games, he would have scored 22 goals and 63 points, a step up from the 2024-25 season.

But that doesn’t tell the entire story, as the longest-tenure Oiler was largely ineffective during five-on-five action. His 56 points were the fourth-most on the Oilers, but only 26 of those points came at even strength. That was the ninth-highest point total at even strength for the Oilers, fewer than Mattias Ekholm, Zach Hyman, Vasily Podkolzin, Jack Roslovic, and Matthew Savoie.

That’s a bit of a surprise as well, as Nugent-Hopkins spent more time with Connor McDavid than he did away during five-on-five action. Playing just over 1,000 five-on-five minutes, Nugent-Hopkins spent 548:45 minutes with McDavid, with the Oilers scoring 29 goals and allowing 28 during five-on-five action. That’s just 50.88 per cent of the expected goal share, and their 54.86 per cent was good, not great.

For context, from 2022-23 until 2024-25, the Oilers owned 58.21 per cent of the goal share and 61.68 per cent of the expected goal share in over 1,280 minutes of five-on-five time.

Nugent-Hopkins has never been a line driver, and his 100-plus point season is a clear anomaly. What he has been throughout his career, and still was in 2025-26, is an important member of the Oilers’ power play and a strong defensive winger.

More than half of his goals and points came on the Oilers’ top-ranked power play in 2025-26, and make no mistake about it, he’s vital to its success. When he went down with an injury in early November and missed 10 games, the power play went just 2-for-16, or a 12.5 per cent success rate.

When he returned in late November, the Oilers’ power play got hot, scoring seven goals over their next 11 chances. Granted, two of those games were against the Seattle Kraken, one of the worst penalty-killing teams, but he’s a valuable member of the unit.

While he may get an opportunity playing with McDavid and Zach Hyman, a more enticing line is playing alongside Jason Dickinson on a strong shutdown third line. Will the Oilers do that? Probably not. In fact, he may centre the second line, but his role next season should be a scoring option on the shutdown third line, while also being a part of the Oilers’ power play.

31 Oilers questions in 31 days…

Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for Oilersnation, FlamesNation, and Blue Jays Nation. Follow her on X at @Ryley__Delaney.

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