With an average draft position of eighth overall, the Edmonton Oilers’ top line certainly has a heightened set of expectations to live up to. No matter how much pressure the organization or the playoff-starved fan base puts on them, they certainly have the ‘stuff’ to live up to them.
The trio combined for 201-points last season, paced by then fourth-year winger Taylor Hall – the first overall pick in the 2010 NHL Draft. Hall, the first of three straight first overall picks for the Oilers, increased his point total from 50, all the way to 80 this previous year and has topped the point-per-game mark for the second straight season.
Injuries delayed Ryan Nugent-Hopkins‘ sophomore campaign two years ago and once he returned – and posted a modest 24-points – he never seemed to get into sync and only tallied four goals in 40-games. With a Calder Trophy Nomination to his credit, the talented pivot can certainly be right up there among the league’s most dynamic players.
At just 24-years old, 2008-first round pick Jordan Eberle is the ‘elder’ statesman of the group, as well as the only one not to be selected first overall, going 22nd in his draft year. Eberle has dazzled with his puck-handling skills since the second he took the ice as an Oiler.
Separate, they are three highly skilled players with extremely high upside that could be a key cog in any organization’s turnaround.
Together they can be the most exciting line the league has to offer for the viewing pleasure of hockey fans. Nugent-Hopkins showed that flash with one of the more polarizing goals of this young season.
In Wednesday night’s contest against the Washington Capitals, the 21-year old former Red Deer Rebel took the puck from Alexander Ovechkin – a man no stranger to highlight reel goals – after the Russian superstar fumbled a shot attempt.
Nugent-Hopkins sped down the ice on his off-wing, firing a shot from the circle past Capitals’ goaltender Braden Holtby to tie the game back at two a piece. The goal would swing things back in the home team’s favor, where Nikita Nikitin ended up scoring the eventual game-winner.
A great win for a struggling team with one of your young stars making a big, impactful, game changing play – just the reason you drafted him first overall.
There has been an ever increasing rumor of attempting to break the trio up via trade in order to add a legit second line center behind RNH, and to do so they would part ways with Eberle.
Leon Draisaitl was drafted third overall to one day fill that role, but the Oilers decided to make that future now and slotted him into that role as an 18-year old. To start the season, Draisaitl has shown some of the promise that made him such a high draft pick, but has also shown just as much to warrant another year’s worth of junior hockey.
If that’s the case in Edmonton’s eyes, adding a second line center from the outside certainly seems like a valid move. But moving Eberle to do so would also mean getting rid of one of the most dynamic offensive players in the NHL in exchange for a player that may or may not gel with his new surroundings.
Throughout the past three seasons, Eberle has the eighth highest on-ice shooting percentage at even strength. Basically, when Eberle is on the ice his team scores at a higher percentage than all but seven other skaters at even strength over the past three years – more than Sidney Crosby, Jonathan Toews and other superstars.
Only above Eberle is Steven Stamkos (first), Martin St. Louis, Jiri Hudler, Thomas Vanek, Chris Kunitz, Jamie Benn, and Tyler Bozak. Not a bad list to be included in, and the list of players he tops is even better.
It hasn’t been all Eberle driving scoring, as Hall and Nugent-Hopkins rank surprisingly high for players playing for such a bad team. With a 9.58% on-ice shooting percentage, Hall sits at 15th and RNH ranks 39th (8.88%).
Moving Eberle would hurt the Oilers in the one aspect that they seem to have going for them: putting the puck in the net.
Trading him for another center won’t improve your defensive core, or goaltending. Currently Edmonton is allowing four goals per game (second to last), and at the bottom half (19th) of shots allowed per game (30.4).
Edmonton has a line that could be one of the best in the league, very soon, maybe by the end of the year – breaking it up can only hurt you now and in the future.
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