It still boggles my mind that Nugent-Hopkins is being considered as expendable as the Oilers are only now, after a very long time, having some semblance of depth at the center position. Having said that, if the right deal is in place, no one on this roster, except for McDavid, should be considered untouchable.

My reasons for keeping RNH are pretty straighforward: centers are hard to come by, especially when they’re 22 and already have over 4 years of NHL experience playing against the best opposition and posting some very nice numbers at even-strength.  Nugent-Hopkins has scored 125 points at 5v5 since 2011, which ranks him 37th out 221 centers who have played over 100 games in that time period (Source: War on Ice).

But let’s for a moment entertain the thought of trading Nugent-Hopkins to fill a void elsewhere on the roster and consider what the options would be if the Oilers look for another centerman.

Full article is at The Copper & Blue.