Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Zach Hyman face mounting pressure as the Edmonton Oilers prepare to take on the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday night. Both players, crucial to the team’s offense, have been underperforming, and with the Oilers off to a disappointing 2-4-0 start, they need to find their form quickly.
Both forwards are key components of a 1-15 power play and are typically strong 5-v-5 players. For whatever reason, they aren’t pulling their weight in either situation, and that needs to change.
Nugent-Hopkins’ Defense is Slipping
Nugent-Hopkins, the longest-serving Oiler, has struggled mightily in the early stages of this season. Known for his consistency and two-way play, the veteran forward has appeared almost invisible on the ice, despite logging minutes as the second-line center. While he has two assists to his name, his defensive metrics are alarming. With an expected goals-for percentage (xGF%) of 36.84% and a high-danger chance percentage (HDCF%) of just 35.29%, (stats courtesy of Natural Stat Trick and an h/t to Daily Hive) Nugent-Hopkins is a shadow of the reliable presence he’s been for over a decade.
Offensively, things haven’t gone much better. He’s struggling with plays that are typically automatic. Against the Hurricanes, Nuge will be back on the top line with Connor McDavid and Zach Hyman. Not only must he find a way to be the sharpest of the three defensively, but he needs to start kicking in on offense.
He’s also part of a struggling penalty kill that has looked nothing like the powerhouse it did in the playoffs last season. The team has lost key pieces there, so Nugent-Hopkins needs to step up.
Hyman Has Yet To Score for the Oilers
Similarly, Zach Hyman has been struggling to get going offensively. After a career-high 54-goal season, Hyman he hasn’t found the back of the net in the first six games of the 2024-25 campaign. With 14 shots on goal and no goals to show for it, he’s got to be getting frustrated.
While slow starts are nothing new for Hyman, this regression is beyond what was expected after last season’s career year. His tenacity and knack for scoring in high-danger areas suggest that it’s only a matter of time before he breaks through but he doesn’t look as determined in the early going. The Stanley Cup Final took a lot out of every Oiler, but perhaps Hyman more than most.
The Oilers need him to shake it off and get going. If he doesn’t start producing, it’s time to consider putting someone else on the power play or giving him a different role and forcing him to work his way back onto that top line.
Both players are vital to the Oilers’ success, and Tuesday’s matchup against Carolina presents an opportunity to get back on track. With the team desperately seeking offense and stability, Nugent-Hopkins and Hyman will need to step up if Edmonton hopes to halt their early-season skid.
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