Now that the season is over and the offseason has slowed down, it is time to reflect on the season that was. Over the next few weeks, we will be giving out grades and analysis on each player who played 19 games or more for the Edmonton Oilers in the 2022–23 season.
Overall, the season can be looked at as a success. Although the ending was disappointing, the Oilers finished the season with a 50–23–9 record, a total of 109 points. The first time they’ve hit 50 wins since 1986–87 and the most points since 1985–86. Things are looking promising for Edmonton’s competitive window, even though they only made it to the second round of the playoffs this season.
Plenty of players had amazing campaigns individually, and we are here to look more into those. So to kick things off, let’s give out some grades for Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Ryan McLeod, Brett Kulak, and Mattias Ekholm.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins: A+
What an incredible season for Nugent-Hopkins. He absolutely smashed his career high in goals, assists, and points. He scored 37 goals (a previous high of 28) and had 67 assists (a previous high of 41) for a total of 104 points (a previous high of 69).
For years, Nugent-Hopkins has been an unsung hero and fan favourite. Oil Country was ecstatic when he signed a long-term deal that should take him to the end of his career. And to get to watch him play such a significant role in the success of the Oilers’ season was heartwarming to say the least. Well-deserved success.
But his offence is not the only place Nugent-Hopkins shone in 2022–23. For years, he has quietly been developing as one of the team’s better two-way forwards. He has been relied on to successfully handle tough matchups with strong defensive performance, has the second most shorthanded time on ice per game amongst Oilers forwards, and as the longest serving member on Edmonton’s roster, is one of the most important veteran presences the team possesses.
Ryan McLeod: B-
The hype surrounding McLeod’s growth as a player is finally paying off. For the first time in his career, he spent the entire NHL season on the NHL roster, although he only played in 53 games due to injury. He is growing well into his role with the team and has easily become one of the most relied on players in the bottom-six for a variety of reasons.
Offensively, McLeod took a huge step forward in 2022–23. A career high in goals (11) and points (23) may not have been much higher than his old highs of 9 and 21, but he did so this season in just 53 games compared to 71 in 2021–22. His production pace has jumped up enough to consider him a legitimate third line forward and valuable contributor to the Oilers’ scoring depth.
Defensively, McLeod does not get near enough credit for how well he handles himself, especially against elite competition. According to PuckIQ, of regular players, he ranked second best on the team with just 0.9 goals against per 60 against elite competition behind only Devin Shore (amongst players with over 41 games played.)
His game is coming along nicely, and he will only continue to get better. One area that would help jump his contributions to the lineup would be his finishing touch. McLeod has the speed and agility to create good scoring chances for himself, but he doesn’t always have the touch to score. With some more confidence and experience, he could find himself as an elite third line forward if he can start approaching the 20-goal mark.
Brett Kulak: C+
Kulak has quietly been one of the better trade acquisitions of recent years. And for a depth defender, there is no better praise than to be quietly filling his role.
He has now found his niche as a fixture on the team’s third defensive pair where he has been an effective player with reasonable contributions on both sides of the puck. Once the team improved its defensive depth at the trade deadline with the addition of Ekholm, it let Kulak slide down into this third-pairing role where he can shine, instead of just treading water in a top-four position.
Kulak is not seen as an offensive defender, though his 20 points are still valuable, so it is doubly impressive that he manages a positive goal share with a lower amount of offence generated while he is on the ice. In 2022–23, the goals for differential while he was on the ice was 52%.
Kulak has more than met the expectations set of him of being a stable presence in the defensive group. There are no real glaring holes in his game, but he is not a standout player who is going to be a gamechanger.
Mattias Ekholm: A
Will this go down as one of the best trade deadline acquisitions the Oilers have ever made? Early indications are that it will be a possibility. Mattias Ekholm, after being acquired in a blockbuster deadline deal, immediately made a significant positive impact on Edmonton’s blueline. He gave Evan Bouchard a high-end complimentary partner to help develop his game, fills the final spot to giving the Oilers a legitimate top-four, and adds an element to Edmonton’s defence that meshes extremely well with the way the forwards play.
Averaging just over 20 minutes of ice time per game, Ekholm had 14 points in 21 regular season games with another seven in 12 playoff games. Easily on pace for around 50 points in a full season. He can find a new level of offence playing with the Oilers simply by being on the ice with players like Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and Nugent-Hopkins. But his playstyle compliments their games well as Ekholm is an excellent puck mover with a great first pass. For an Oilers team that utilizes a rush and counter attack offence, this is a key element that the team did not have enough of before.
Looking more on his impact on the team’s defence and overall performance in stats from Natural Stat Trick, Ekholm’s nearly 60% Corsi and Fenwick for percentages led the team. His goals for percentage was a staggering 75% at 5v5 play. According to PuckIQ, he was also just behind McLeod in third best on the team in goals against per 60 while facing elite competition.
Ekholm’s impact on the team was outstanding, and his own individual performance had him playing some of the best hockey of his career. There is nothing negative to say about how he played after joining the Oilers.
Stay tuned over the next few weeks as we roll out player grades for the rest of the roster!
Photo by Curtis Comeau/Icon Sportswire
