The Edmonton Oilers have been a very exciting organization since joining the NHL for the 1979-80 season. They have had some of the game’s best talent suit up for them at one point or another in their respective careers, and have an alumni group that rivals any of the NHL’s best dynasty teams to ever exist.
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Of course, there have been some lows throughout the Oilers’ existence as well, particularly the decade of darkness which left many fans feeling completely hopeless. Things have turned around since, however, as Edmonton has once again turned into an NHL powerhouse, even if not at the same level established in the 1980s. With that said, here’s a look at the top 10 players to ever suit up for this historic franchise.
*Goalies were not included for this list
10. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins
It’s a shame that Ryan Nugent-Hopkins has never gotten credit around the NHL that he deserves. Unfortunately, playing in the shadows of the likes of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl will do that, but fans in Edmonton are well aware of “The Nuge’s” value to this team, both now at the age of 32 as well as when he was just breaking into the league at 18.
Nugent-Hopkins is a very dependable two-way player for the Oilers who can be used both on the wing and down the middle. His 748 points rank seventh in franchise history, while his 959 games are third. He has an opportunity to surpass Kevin Lowe’s 1,037 games as the most in Oilers history.
9. Ryan Smyth
Despite not being the highest-skilled individual, Ryan Smyth became a very valuable (and beloved) member of the Oilers by making sure he was the hardest working player each and every time he hit the ice. His fearlessness when it came to sacrificing his body in front of the net was something that earned him a ton of respect during his playing days.
Smyth played 971 games in an Oilers sweater, racking up 296 goals and 631 points. The numbers may not pop out as much as they do for others on this list, but it is absolutely impossible to put together a top 10 Oilers list and not have Smyth on…
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