FEATURE: Nugent-Hopkins' extension a success

EDMONTON, AB -Nuuuuuuuge.
For eight more seasons, at the very least, when Ryan Nugent-Hopkins steps onto the ice under Rogers Place spotlights, he will hear Oil Country belt that familiar low-pitched chant.
The Edmonton Oilers active leader in games played inked an eight-year extension on Tuesday, projecting the 28-year-old to become the longest-serving member of the Orange & Blue in franchise history by the end of it.

For all sides involved - Nugent-Hopkins and his agent Rick Valette, Oilers President of Hockey Operations & General Manager Ken Holland, and the fan base - the deal is a win-win-win.
Nugent-Hopkins and Valette obtained the term and no-movement protection they were seeking; Holland got the value he wanted and secured a multi-faceted forward every National Hockey League organization covets; the fan base holds onto the player they have grown with since Edmonton selected first-overall in the 2011 NHL Draft.
"It's always been my goal to be able to stay in Edmonton," Nugent-Hopkins told the media via Zoom. "We have lots of connections, fans have treated me so well, the organization has been great. It was an easy decision to want to stay and I'm happy to make it work."
Nugent-Hopkins' extension is front-loaded, features an annual average value (AAV) of $5.125 million and signing bonuses in the latter part of the deal. By the time the pact is complete, the 6-foot-0, 184-pounder will be 36 but Holland believes RNH's on-ice abilities promise longevity in the twilight of his career.
"When he's 60 years old and he's playing old-timers hockey, he's still going to have hockey sense, he's going to have hands, he's going to be smart and going to be poised," Holland said from the Oilers Hall of Fame Room.
"If we would've lost Nuge, it would have been a massive loss. He can play centre, he can play left wing, he has leadership in the locker room, he can kill penalties and he thinks at a high level. This is a deal that Ryan felt good about and this is a deal that I felt good about."
Holland, Nugent-Hopkins and Valette did not reach the agreement swiftly. Negotiations spanned over a year - 18 months, to be precise - and prolonged during the Stanley Cup Qualifiers in 2020 as well as the COVID-shortened 2020-21 NHL season.

Holland admitted that it was one of the rarest contracts he's ever arranged, while Nugent-Hopkins remained patient throughout the process.
"The pandemic changed everything… This is the most unique contract negotiation that, personally, I have been through," Holland, with over 20 years of managerial experience, said. "For Nuge, the term was important. He loves being an Oiler. He loves playing and living in Edmonton. He loves the fan base. He wants to play his entire career as an Edmonton Oiler."
Added Nugent-Hopkins: "With COVID happening and the flat-cap coming into place … it was a little bit of a long process with a little bit more negotiation. I want to be part of this team when we start winning and making those long runs and big pushes in the playoffs."
For a franchise loaded with legendary alumnus, Nugent-Hopkins - donning No. 93 since Day 1 - will continue building his legacy with the organization. Individually, the Burnaby product is tied for ninth in all-time Oilers goals with 185, 10th in points with 478 and 12th in assists with 293.
"It's definitely an honour to be up there with some of the greatest players to ever play the game," the veteran said of all his club milestones. "Playing 10 years there now, I'm lucky enough to have played with some really good and great players. The main goal is always to win a (Stanley) Cup and be a championship team in Edmonton."
If and when that happens, fans will know exactly what to hum when the journeyman accomplishes the ultimate goal:
Nuuuuuuuge.