As Ryan Nugent-Hopkins enters his 16th training camp as an Edmonton Oiler, he does so with another new coach, the 11th of his career.

Throughout his time with the Oilers, Nugent-Hopkins has been asked to do just about everything. He’s played centre and wing, moved up and down the lineup, contributed on both special teams, and seemingly filled whatever role Edmonton needed at the time.

Teammates often call him a coach’s favourite because of his versatility, which makes it interesting to see how Mike Babcock uses him this season. While his ability to play virtually anywhere in the lineup gives the Oilers plenty of options, it also raises an interesting question heading into the season: where does Nuge fit best?

First-line winger

The most familiar option for Nugent-Hopkins would be to keep him on Connor McDavid’s left wing, a combination the Oilers have had plenty of success with over the years.

Looking at a three-year sample from 2022-23 through 2024-25, the McDavid-Nuge combination was dominant at five-on-five, playing just under 1,300 minutes together. According to Natural Stat Trick, they controlled 61.7 per cent of the expected goals and 63.8 per cent of the high-danger chances, while outscoring opponents 78-56. Over this span, McDavid’s numbers dipped slightly without Nugent-Hopkins on his line.

That said, 2025-26 didn’t produce the same results. The duo’s expected-goal share at five-on-five dropped to 54.9 per cent, and the Oilers had just a plus-one goal differential with them on the ice. And unlike years past, McDavid’s five-on-five numbers were actually better away from Nugent-Hopkins than with him. Still, after years of dominance together, it’s fair to wonder whether last season was........

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