Skip navigation
Favorites
Sign up to follow your favorites on all your devices.
Sign up

Nugent-Hopkins’ injury prompts return of size questions

Edmonton Oilers v Phoenix Coyotes

GLENDALE, AZ - DECEMBER 15: Ryan Nugent-Hopkins #93 of the Edmonton Oilers skates off the ice following warm ups to the NHL game against the Phoenix Coyotes at Jobing.com Arena on December 15, 2011 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

Christian Petersen

Life seemed kinda cool for Edmonton Oilers fans for about 4-5 days, but it seems like the mood is shifting back to misery.

Dropping a sloppy 6-3 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs is bad enough, but their wunderkind forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins seemed to re-injure his left shoulder after taking a hit from Mike Brown. RNH did not return to the game.

That’s a bummer, but some are taking this as more than just a nagging issue. The Denver Post’s Adrian Dater brings up a troubling thought: could his shoulder issues be the by-product of RNH simply being too small for the NHL?

People certainly weren’t asking those questions when the splendid playmaker was lighting up the league as a rookie earlier in the season, yet this might just open up the discussion again. Do you think that the Oilers should be worried, though?

On the bright side, Sam Gagner picked up an assist to push him to 12 points in his last three games.

Still, with RNH’s injury and Edmonton’s bigger picture headaches in mind, Gagner’s red-hot ways might not amount to much more than a shiny object to shake at Oilers fans who need a distraction. (I mean, unless the Oilers decide to strike while the trading iron is hot with Gagner, which is something Nick Kypreos suggests.)