Nugent-Hopkins set for season debut as Oilers host champion Hurricanes

[SportsMafia Wire]

SportsMafia Wire graphic. Photo: All-Pro Reels via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0. Team logos via ESPN.​

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins will make his season debut Thursday when Edmonton faces Carolina, Oilers coach Mike Babcock announced following the team's latest victory.

The forward has been sidelined since September after sustaining a lower-body injury during a preseason practice. The 2011 first overall pick recorded 56 points in 72 games last season and has amassed 804 points across 1,031 career contests.

Edmonton enters the matchup with a 7-1-1 record, giving the club the league's best points percentage. The Oilers are coming off a 4-3 overtime win against Minnesota. Connor McDavid leads the team with 26 points in nine games, followed by Evan Bouchard with 18 and Leon Draisaitl with 16. Vasily Podkolzin has contributed 12 points, while no other Edmonton player has exceeded five.

Zach Hyman recently returned from a six-game absence and has played the past two contests.

Thursday's meeting at Rogers Place pits the NHL's two leading clubs by points percentage against one another, as the reigning Stanley Cup champion Hurricanes visit.

Source: Daily Faceoff - Wed Oct 21, 9:06 AM ET

Written by the SportsMafia Wire desk in our own words from the original reporting (AI-assisted, checked against the source).