Despite not being a part of Team North America’s initial roster for the 2016 World Cup of Hockey, there was never a doubt that Edmonton Oilers centre Ryan Nugent-Hopkins would be part of the team. While it was made official on Friday afternoon, the question now becomes whether or not the former first-overall pick will be used at centre or on the wing during the much-anticipated event. Lucky for him, the head coach is rather familiar with the strengths and weaknesses in his overall game and will slot him accordingly.
Prior to yesterday’s announcement of the final roster selections for the 2016 World Cup Hockey, many seemed to believe it was nothing more than a foregone conclusion that Hockey Canada would use one of those spots on Edmonton Oilers forward Taylor Hall. Coming off a second consecutive year in which the former first-overall selection starred for Team Canada at the IIHF World Championship and developing into one of the best left-wingers in the game today , it did seem to be a no-brainer of a move for Doug Armstrong and company to make.
There are different ways to tackle an off-season to-do list in the NHL. When it comes to addressing a roster’s most glaring needs, general managers usually have no choice but to wait until the summer months to make major changes. However, that is not necessarily the case when it comes to filling secondary roles in a lineup and the Edmonton Oilers took their first step in that direction by re-signing Zack Kassian to a one-year deal late last week.
