EDMONTON - Connor McDavid’s No. 97 Edmonton Oilers’ jersey may be third in league-wide sales, according to the NHL shopping website, but Ryan Nugent-Hopkins’ is still the team’s No. 1 centre.
Nugent-Hopkins, who is up to 195 pounds as he is about to start his fifth season at the age of 22, is probably the most indispensable player on the Oilers’ roster with the minutes he plays and the people he plays against. He is also ready for a breakout offensive year.
It’s true that the first overall pick in 2011 has yet to put up a 70- or 80-point season.