Not long after Edmonton Oilers general manager Ken Holland revealed the Oilers were no longer talking contract extension with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, the forward has responded. While he admits it might not be an ideal situation and it’s frankly an odd time to be negotiating things, Nuge is moving forward and getting his focus where he needs it to be.
Related: Edmonton Oilers News & Rumors: Bear, Klefbom, Draisaitl & Broberg
Earlier this week, Holland spoke with the media about the Edmonton Oilers upcoming season, where they are at with their roster and, specifically, what the status of negotiations were with forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Holland said:
“But the marketplace has changed so much that basically our conversations have ended, and I would hope at some point once we get up and running we can pick back up and see if we can find a solution to keep Nuge in an Oilers uniform. Certainly that’s my goal, but the deal’s got to work for Ryan and for the Oilers.”
According to Ryan Franklin of Edmonton Oilers.com, Nugent-Hopkins isn’t terribly surprised by the shift in direction and understands the process during such an odd time in the NHL. He said he’s shifting his focus towards the season itself. The winger noted:
“Obviously a weird, different time to be talking contracts. Right now I’m just focused on getting the season started. In my mind, I know it’s there, but I’m going to put it on the back burner and just really focus on getting the season going and getting started the right way.”
This Shouldn’t Be a Concern
While it’s not great news to hear the two sides aren’t continuing to talk about a new deal, the expectation is still that Nugent-Hopkins stay with the Oilers on a long-term deal.
It sounds more like the plan is to see how the season goes, how quickly Nugent-Hopkins gets out to a productive start and revisit talks from there.
Next: NHL Analyst Talks Why Canadiens are Most Playoff-Ready Canadian Team
