Chiarelli: ‘Nonsense’ to link Nugent-Hopkins’ future with Oilers to World Cup decision Peter Chiarelli hinted weeks ago that major changes would be coming to the core of the Edmonton Oilers this summer. But the Oilers’ GM said it would be “nonsense” to link Ryan Nugent-Hopkins’ future in Edmonton to his decision to not select him among the first 16 players for Team North America on Wednesday.

Frank Seravalli TSN Senior Hockey Reporter Follow|Archive

PHILADELPHIA — Peter Chiarelli hinted weeks ago that major changes would be coming to the core of the Edmonton Oilers this summer.

But the Oilers’ general manager said it would be “nonsense” to link Ryan Nugent-Hopkins’ future in Edmonton to his decision to not select Nugent-Hopkins among the first 16 players for Team North America on Wednesday.

“If you merge my decisions with the World Cup with my decisions [with the Oilers], that’s mistaken. It just is,” Chiarelli said Thursday after the Oilers’ morning skate. “You have to be able to separate the two and take the collateral damage that comes with it.

“It makes good copy, I understand that. I was part of a situation like that in Sochi with Martin St. Louis and that’s probably why this story has legs. But I wear two different hats here. I like Nuge as a player. I know there were rampant rumours, but I wasn’t moving him.”

Nonetheless, it has created an unavoidable awkward vibe around the Oilers, given that Edmonton head coach Todd McLellan is also coaching Team North America. That comes on the heels of reports earlier this season that Nugent-Hopkins was offered to Nashville for defenceman Seth Jones.

McLellan said he was involved in Team North America roster discussions with Chiarelli, co-GM Stan Bowman, advisor Scotty Bowman, assistants Paul Fenton and Adam Graves — a staff of eight to 10 people that also includes scouts.

“Nuge knows exactly what I think of him as an individual and a player and how much I believe in him,” McLellan said. “He knows the organization feels the same way. What he has to do, and what we have to do, is convince eight or 10 others that sit on that panel that he’s that guy. He’ll do that on the back end [of the season] and we’ll help him.”

Nugent-Hopkins, who turns 23 next month, readily admitted this has not been his best season. He hasn’t played since Jan. 18, when he suffered a hand injury and subsequently underwent surgery. Battling for a spot on Team North America will provide a “some extra motivation,” he said, since the Oilers will not be in the playoffs yet again.

“I don’t know if [Wednesday] means I’m not on the team,” Nugent-Hopkins said. “Obviously, a lot of guys will be named later. There’s no disappointment on my end, I mean, I still have an opportunity here. I’ve just got to play well. It’s in my own hands.”

To try and diffuse the situation, Chiarelli sat down with Nugent-Hopkins last week and talked, notifying him that he wouldn’t be on the roster.

“The optics, there’s a number of teams that have notable omissions. Nuge is one,” Chiarelli said. “We talked about a number of different things, mainly just his play in general and how I felt about his play. I thought it was a constructive conversation. I’m going to leave that between myself and Nuge.’”

McLellan said Nugent-Hopkins is expected to return to the lineup on March 12, when the Oilers return home after this six-game road trip. He skated with the Oilers again on Thursday morning but hasn’t taken any “heavy” shots yet with the injured hand.

The question is: what are Chiarelli, Bowman and McLellan looking to see in the final 12 games of his season that they haven’t already seen from Nugent-Hopkins in his career? He has been in the league since 2011, which isn’t exactly a small sample size.

Every week, Chiarelli said, the North America staff drafted rosters with lines and pairs, and then put together a final list. They looked for “matchup minutes, quality of matchup minutes, special-team minutes — the actual player.”

“Then I made a determination what the final roster is,” Chiarelli said.

That Team North America’s preliminary roster ended up evenly split between Canadian-born and American players (eight and eight) is a coincidence. Chiarelli said there was no “quota system.”

Yet Rangers centre J.T. Miller ended up on the team ahead of Nugent-Hopkins. Miller has four more points than Nugent-Hopkins despite playing 17 more games this season. He also plays exactly five fewer minutes per game. Miller is trying to become the player Nugent-Hopkins already has been.

Nugent-Hopkins has three 50-point seasons to his credit. In 46 games this year, Nugent-Hopkins has eight goals and 22 assists for 30 points. He plays nearly 20 minutes per night against top competition. And with 304 NHL games under his belt, he has more experience than any other player on the green North America roster, save Philadelphia Flyers forward Sean Couturier (331).

As veteran Edmonton Journal hockey writer Jim Matheson pointed out: what GM would trade Nugent-Hopkins for Miller?

“Everyone was saying J.T. Miller versus Nuge,” Chiarelli responded. “That wasn’t necessarily the decision. There’s a little strategy involved versus guys we know and you can leave a roster spot open.”

Chiarelli opined his Nugent-Hopkins situation is “apples and oranges” to Martin St. Louis’ Sochi battle with Steve Yzerman in Tampa Bay, noting St. Louis’ many years in the league, his pedigree with the Hart Trophy, and the fact that there are still seven roster spots left.

But the optics are still damning, even if Nugent-Hopkins ultimately makes the team.

“I don’t think we could’ve named 17 [players]. I never asked,” Chiarelli said. “There’s no real advantage to naming 17, unless it’s political and you want to avoid [controversy]. But if you’re making a team based on politics, you’re not doing the right thing. Nuge is a very good player. I know Nuge as a player. I’m very comfortable with him as a player. That’s what I’ll tell you.”

Frank Seravalli can be reached at frank.seravalli@bellmedia.ca.