The Edmonton Oilers have a lot to look forward to in the 2023-24 season as a team. They have made some impressive moves during the offseason that has them lined up to be a Stanley Cup contender. One thing a few fans don’t know, though, is that a few Oilers players are close to reaching new career milestones, including Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Evander Kane and Leon Draisaitl.
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All three players have the ability to hit a new assist milestone this season, and while Draisaitl will probably have another insane offensive output next season in hopes of helping the team push for a championship, it’ll be fun to see him, Kane and Nugent-Hopkins reach their own individual plateaus.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins; 1 Assist Away From 400
Nugent-Hopkins is the longest-tenured Oiler on the current roster, and will likely be an Oiler forever as he is currently on an eight-year extension. He took a huge leap offensively last season, hitting a career high in goals, assists and points, and put himself in the conversation among some of the best players in the NHL. He finished the season with 37 goals and 67 assists for 104 points through 82 games. Throughout his career, Nugent-Hopkins has scored 233 goals and added 399 assists for 632 points through 801 games.
He is one assist away from 400, which he will definitely be surpassing this upcoming season, and 17 goals away from 250, which I also fully expect him to reach. He will be back on the first power-play unit, which will only boost his chances more, and he will have a bit of extra motivation as he looks to prove last season wasn’t just a fluke.
Evander Kane; 29 Assists Away From 300
Kane joined the team midway through the 2021-22 season and became a huge part of the Oilers almost immediately. His impact on the ice was felt by Oilers fans as he helped the team push to an impressive playoff run, and ended up re-signing for four more years with the team. Kane, who is 32, has scored 302 goals and added 271 assists for 573 points through 853 games in his career, putting him 29 assists away from 300, and 48 goals away from 350.
Kane is coming off of a season that began with a really scary and unfortunate incident that sidelined him for half of the season. Through 41 games though, he still provided some scoring with 16 goals and 12 assists for 28 points, and is expected to surpass that and hit 50-60 points this upcoming season.
Leon Draisaitl; 12 Assists Away From 450
Draisaitl is the second-best player on the Oilers and will go down as one of the greatest in franchise history. He has shown ever since joining the team that he is a difference maker that will eventually help this team win another Stanley Cup after years of waiting. Through 638 games with the Oilers, Draisaitl is over a point per game with 306 goals and 438 assists for 744 points, putting him 12 assists away from 450, and 62 assists away from 50, which are both very attainable for him.
Other Notable Close Milestones for the Oilers:
- McDavid: 50 points away from 900; 150 away from 1,000
- Nugent-Hopkins: 68 points away from 700
- Darnell Nurse: 31 assists away from 200
- Zach Hyman: 45 games played away from 200 and 63 points away from 200
The Oilers have their eyes on the biggest prize of them all this season, the Stanley Cup. It’s hard to bet against them this season. Even with a few teams making big moves to try and go all in, it’s hard to not see the Oilers making it far. While as a team they’re focused on that goal, these milestones will likely be in the back of these players’ minds.