BLOG: Nugent-Hopkins never far off from making an impact

DALLAS, TX – Ryan Nugent-Hopkins can seemingly do no wrong according to his teammates and coaches as the player inside the Oilers dressing room who carries the most tenure at the club and is one of its leading voices driving the ship forward to its ultimate goal of lifting the Stanley Cup.

“He's just so valuable in every facet of the game. He touches every part,” Leon Draisaitl said.

“I think he’s the heartbeat of this team … he does it all,” Mattias Ekholm added.

Draisaitl took the claim even further following the pre-game skate ahead of Game 5 of the Western Conference Final on Friday by describing No. 93 as flawless in both presence and execution, making him a favourite amongst his teammates while endearing himself to the coaching staff for his versatility and veteran guidance.

“Have you guys ever seen him make a mistake? I really haven't,” Draisaitl said. “He's just such a smart, good hockey player and I think he's probably the coach's favourite player in the world.

In response to Leon’s lofty claims about his inability to commit errors, Nugent-Hopkins said it was important to pump the brakes a little bit in that regard.

“I make mistakes,” he answered with a smile. “I make mistakes out there, for sure. But you try to limit them. I feel like I just try to play my game,  play as smart as I can and manage pucks when I need to.”

Head Coach Kris Knoblauch did attest to Nugent-Hopkins’ favouritism amongst the coaching staff, but that his favourite player can change depending on how meetings, practices and games unfold for the Oilers and on any given day and which player impresses him the most – whether that be by example on the ice or as a leader in the locker room.

After Wednesday’s massive win in Game 4, that mantle could’ve belonged to one of Mattias Janmark, Connor Brown, Darnell Nurse or several other worthy choices, but Nugent-Hopkins’ consistency and versatility in all areas of the game since he arrived in Edmonton as their first-overall pick in the 2011 NHL Draft has him earning the title as ‘Coach’s Favourite Player’ at a regular pace despite some of the big names the Oilers boast in their lineup.

“First of all, I've always got a favourite player, but it just depends on the day. It changes” Knoblauch said before drawing a laugh from the media.

"Ryan brings a lot to our team, whether it's at five-on-five transporting the puck, making plays or scoring some key goals. He's a big part of the power play. He's not the driver, obviously – Bouch, McDavid and Draisaitl will get a lot of the attention on the power play – but he's a great facilitator. He does a lot of good things to help that power play work.

“And then through the playoffs, the penalty kill has been going pretty well and Nuge is always the first one over the boards. He's a big part of that. So there are a lot of things that I like, and there are days that Ryan is my favourite. But some days, it changes."

Nugent-Hopkins is still adding elements to his game as he finds himself deep into his 13th professional season – deeper than he's ever been as a member of the Blue & Orange after wading through a few shallow years early on in his career with only one playoff appearance in his first eight years in the NHL.

The 31-year-old has played 36:41 of time shorthanded in these playoffs for the Oilers that's over six minutes more than the next closest forward in Mattias Janmark (30:40), while he's been dishing the puck on the power play with five power-play assists to go along with two goals as one of the five core players for Edmonton who've been out there for almost every man advantage in its entirety.

Nugent-Hopkins needs one more power-play assist to reach 300 for his career, and it could come at a big point in this series if Edmonton can get back on track with the man advantage. The penalty kill has pushed aside 23 straight opportunities dating back to Game 3 of the Second Round against Vancouver, and a large part of that credit goes to the Nuge.

"It's something that I've definitely taken a lot of pride in over the years and I've worked on both sides of the puck, and I want to be relied upon in different situations," he said. "We have a lot of guys who can play in both situations. We know that. I mean, it's something that I do and take a lot of pride in.

"You've got to be dialled in at all times, and sometimes, the power play can make the difference. Sometimes, the PK can make the difference, and sometimes you've got to get it done five-on-five. I want to keep improving on both sides and see where we can get."

Make no mistake, Nugent-Hopkins is certainly relishing the opportunity to be this deep into the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

"It's a lot of fun. I mean, this is why we do it," he said. "This is why we work so hard and play. Obviously, when you're in it, you're just playing and you're looking for that next win, so it's not like you sit back and reflect too much on it in the moment, but at the same time, it's exciting.

"We understand where we are and the opportunity we have ahead of us, so it's fun to be a part of it."