Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Oilers Agree to New 8-Year, $41M Contract

The Edmonton Oilers and forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins agreed to an eight-year, $41 million contract Tuesday.  

Ryan Rishaug of TSN first reported the news, noting Nugent-Hopkins wanted to stay in Edmonton. 

Nugent-Hopkins, the No. 1 overall pick of the 2011 NHL draft, spent the first decade of his career in Edmonton. While he's not quite lived up to the No. 1 overall hype, Nugent-Hopkins proved an aptitude when asked to transition from center to the left wing and has versatility teams covet.

Nugent-Hopkins struggled a bit in 2020-21, compiling only 35 points in 52 regular-season games. He was coming off two straight stellar seasons but got lost in the shuffle for an Oilers team that underperformed as a whole.

A contract extension seemed to be in the works before the 2020-21 campaign but fell apart, leading to a sense of uncertainty heading into free agency. Nevertheless, Nugent-Hopkins maintained he wanted to stay in Edmonton. 

"I think I've said it from the start, I love being an Oiler, I always have," Nugent-Hopkins told reporters in May. "My goal is always to stay an Oiler, and right now at this point, (free agency) is not really in my mind. Right now, I have a lot more in my head than that, so it's tough to kind of think about that and get my thoughts wrapped around that. I think I've said it from Day 1, I love being an Oiler and it's something that I've taken a lot of pride in the last 10 years."

Nugent-Hopkins' desire to remain an Oiler meant leaving money on the table, but he'll be playing in a city and in a role with which he's familiar. Having already signed one massive long-term contract in his career, Nugent-Hopkins prioritized stability rather than hitting the open market.