You can never accuse Tom Renney of not having a grasp on how things are going in Edmonton. While the Oilers have been skidding lately, the one player who has kept it all together has been none other than rookie Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.
Renney has busted Nugent-Hopkins out in big situations and has seen him respond great all the same. That includes double-shifting him on the team’s power play unit against Colorado. Renney’s response to how he’s handling all of it? According to Terry Jones of the Edmonton Sun, it’s pretty simple.
“But he’s a pretty good player. I just found that out,” Renney joked. “One thing that we did notice is that it works.”
Nugent-Hopkins is proving to be the one consistent player in Edmonton and with Taylor Hall still out of action, he’s essentially been the straw that stirs the drink. Not too bad for a kid fresh out of junior hockey. Looks like the Oilers cashed in awfully well on a No. 1 pick in the draft yet again.