After a stunning first-round sweep at the hands of the Winnipeg Jets, the bad could soon get worse for the Edmonton Oilers. Appearing on Sportsnet 960 in Calgary today, insider Elliotte Friedman dropped a bomb: “That’s a negotiation that went sideways… It fell apart.” He’s of course referring to the Oilers’ negotiations with impending free agent Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, easily the third-best forward on a top-heavy Edmonton roster. After a decade of consistent production, the Oilers could now potentially watch the 2011 first overall pick walk out the door.
According to Friedman, the two sides were close to terms of an extension early in the season. He is unsure when or how things starting to break down, but Friedman adds that whatever imminent deal was once on the table is no longer there. ” I believe it was always the plan that Nugent-Hopkins was going to stay and they wanted to keep him,” Friedman stated, “And now I don’t know… it got mangled.”
While the Oilers could certainly use the added cap flexibility that an RNH departure would afford them, they would have a hard time making up his production, even with multiple additions. A career .73 per-game scorer, Nugent-Hopkins has notched 60+ point seasons in two of the past three years and in an 82-game season this year would have surpassed 50 points for the sixth time in his ten-year career. That kind of production, especially to a team that sees Nugent-Hopkins as a center rather than wing, could be invaluable this off-season. Among impending UFA forwards, RNH ranked sixth this season in points per game and many of those players around him – Colorado’s Gabriel Landeskog, Washington’s Alex Ovechkin, Toronto’s Zach Hyman, and Boston’s David Krejci and Taylor Hall – are expected by most to re-sign with their current squads. Nugent-Hopkins could realistically enter the open market as the most coveted forward available. If the Oilers allow RNH to test the market, the odds that they will be able to afford to re-sign him diminish greatly.
Talks will certainly continue between the two sides. Friedman notes that there have been attempts to rebuild a mutually acceptable offer, but it obviously hasn’t happened yet. Edmonton’s early playoff exit may have changed the mindset of the player or the team, but assuming there is still interest in an extension, negotiations will probably come down to the last minute. However, generally when a deal is in place and then breaks down to this extent, it doesn’t bode well for a continued relationship. Will the 2021 free agent market become the summer of RNH?
Sounds like an episode starring William Bendix, stating “What a revoltin’ devlopment this is!”
The Rangers are looking for a center.If he hits free agent the Rangers WILL sign him
Rangers are looking for a center, but he’s no better than the one they have on the second line. Rangers would most likely be interested and pursue Eichel if they’re going after a center, and they have the assets to get it done.
Isnt that just like Edmonton. Let him walk for nothing. Ugh what can you even say…go Toronto? No I can’t, nay mustn’t sink that low…
@backhandinbaptist – Any more of that, and you’re going to wait in the car!
Hahaha…and I never seen my father again…
Nashville here’s an actual center that’s worth the salary
The first captain of the Seattle Kraken!
This is a really interesting idea. The one area in the expansion draft that is weak is center.
I don’t think of RNH as a #1C but he’s way better than anything else available to Seattle and they will have cap space and a nice city to offer.
Seattle could have a JVR- RNH -TJ Oshie top line. That’s pretty solid. Deadly PP unit, too.
Id prefer we retain JVR.
I dont blame Nuge for wanting to escape this tire fire of an organization!! Chiapet set this team back 5 years and Holland will set the team back right until McD’s contract expires!! Holland waited too long and thats his style anyways, horrible GM and way past his expiry date
Run Ryan run!
Oilers have no clue what they are doing
I have to agree. They have two of the best offensive players in the game and still cannot take it to the next level.
It’s sad I’m a long time oilers fan..we will lose McD, best player in the world, Leo best power forward in the game and Darnell Nurse who is an absolute stud ada defenseman…anyone who watched that triple OT game seen how good nurse is. Yet the rest of our team is pathetic. Smith is the first good goalie we had since Roloson(were not talking post trade dubnyk) and finally we have some honegrown talent coming up..but perhaos too little too late? I dunno..if I’m McDavid I’m looking around..I hope not love the kid but he, Leo and Darnell are too good to stick around. Hope they stay but understand if they don’t.
Jesse is amazing, his point totals do not reflect his many upsides. Yamamoto had a slump, but has shown how good he can be. One addition (outside of RNH) and that’s a pretty solid top 6 imo. The bottom six and goaltending is where it’s been lackluster for the most part. I’m curios to see what Holland does with some extra cap space.
What everybody is currently suggesting is to pay RNH and getting upset if he walks, but if RNH is signed to 6 years, in 5 years the talk will likely be of a buyout and how a long term deal was a mistake.
In the current fiscal climate, signing anyone for big money into the mid-thirties seems too risky.
Seeing RNH is from British Columbia, I kind of doubt he wants to stray too far from home. Calgary, Vancouver, Seattle, Colorado or maybe San Jose or Vegas seem like more realistic destinations.
Say hi to markstrom for us ryan!