EDMONTON – The Edmonton Oilers find themselves in a strange salary cap scenario.
To maximize their financial resources for the trade deadline, they must move money out to accumulate funds before the March deadline. That all but guarantees a few cost-saving measures will be implemented between now and Christmas.
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Depending on who is moved, there’s a good chance that Adam Henrique moves to the top-six as a winger. Should that happen, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins will be the odd man out and get pushed down the lineup.
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In the 2024-25 season, Nugent-Hopkins finished with 49 points in 78 games.
If he is given a more minor role, he’s at risk of finishing the season with fewer than last year’s 49 points. Is that worth the $5.125 million he’s being paid for the next four seasons?
Nugent-Hopkins has been a good soldier for the Oilers. He’s seen a lot of bad times with this team, and he deserves to see a Stanley Cup banner raised in Rogers Place.
However, if that happens while he is still with the team, he will likely need to sacrifice scoring potential for the sake of the Cup.
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