It’s no secret that world-class players Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl will likely finish the season well over a point per game, but what about others on the team? This sparks the question, Which of the following Oiler players would you like to see finish the season with over a point per game?
We asked, you answered! Lets take a look!
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Tyson Barrie
Coming in at only 1% of poll voting is Tyson Barrie, who has put up four goals and 27 points in 35 games so far this season. Barrie, as of now, is eight points off being a point-per-game player, which he has never achieved in a full season before but came close during the 2020–21 season with the Oilers, when he finished the year with 48 points in 56 games. Barrie is currently on pace to get roughly 65 points in 82 games, so for him to make it to a point per game, he would need to generate more offence which is a possibility considering he has been Jay Woodcraft’s go-to man on the Oilers number one ranked powerplay in the league.
Barrie has been one of the Oiler’s best defenceman as of late; not only has he been providing offensive support through his puck-moving abilities on both sides of the ice, but he has been holding his own in the defensive zone, which has been an area of criticism of Barrie’s game for so many years.
Evander Kane
Coming in at 10% of poll voting is Evander Kane. Kane managed to put up five goals and 13 points in 14 games before suffering his scary wrist laceration against the Tampa Bay Lightning on November 8. Before the incident, Kane was on pace for 76 points over an 82-game season. Kane, like Barrie, has never been a point-per-game player in the NHL, although, he got extremely close last season when he finished with 39 points in 43 games, just four points away from achieving point-per-game status.
It would be great to see Kane finish this season over a point a game, as this would mean a pretty successful recovery from injury. There is certainly a possibility it does happen but there is still no guarantee that he will be able to pick up where he left off earlier in the season, especially when considering the severity of the injury.
Zach Hyman
Coming in at 17% of poll voting is Zach Hyman, who has 15 goals and 36 points in 34 games played, making him currently a point-per-game scorer. Hyman, who scored his first career hattrick earlier this season, has never finished the year as a point-per-game player in the NHL but is currently on pace for 87 points in 82 games.
What’s remarkable is that Hyman could have gotten more points than he currently has due to three recent non-goal calls and a pile of Grade A opportunities that he was unlucky not to have scored. Hyman has been playing great for the Oilers since they signed him last offseason and with the way things are going for him this season, it would not be shocking to see him finish this year as a point-per-game player for the first time in his NHL career.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins
Coming in at a massive 72% of poll voting is Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. RNH is currently sitting at an impressive 18 goals and 41 points in 35 games this season, making him currently over a point-per-game player for the club. He is currently on pace for 98 points over an 82-game period which would beat his current career-high of 69 points in 82 games during the 2018–19 season.
RNH is currently the longest-tenured Oiler on the team and seems to be getting his second wind at the age of 29; even with inconsistent linemates on the second line, he has still been able to produce offensively while at the same time supporting his defencemen in the defensive zone. RNH is very well-liked by Oilers fans and has been off to a fantastic start – it’s no surprise to see that he is the favourite in this week’s poll results.
That’s a wrap
Let us know what Oilers player you would like to see finish the season over a point per game in the comments!
Thank you to everyone who took part in the poll, stay tuned for next week’s Sunday Census!
Photo by Curtis Comeau/Icon Sportswire
