Oilers fans concerned over the size of potential #1 2011 draft pick Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (RNH) should put things into perspective.
RNH would be drafted to be a top scorer, not a fighter, plumber, or goaltender. Yes, he would need to be defensively responsible to get ice time, be a good teammate, yada yada yada, but his main function would be to score. If RNH were being drafted to be an enforcer, a shutdown defenseman, or a mechanic for the team bus, the size requirements might be different. He might need to be huge and heavy. But as a #1 pick center, his function would be to score and size would only be a secondary issue.
But just for fun, how big are the NHL’s current top scorers? Wouldn’t that be the best way to answer the question about RNH’s size? To see if concerns about his size really match up against the players currently leading the league in scoring?
Here are the NHL’s top 10 scorers from the 2010-2011 season along with their height and weight:
- Daniel Sedin 6-1 187
- Martin St. Louis* 5-9 177
- Corey Perry* 6-3 206
- Henrik Sedin 6-2 188
- Steve Stamkos 6-1 196
- Jarome Iginla 6-1 207
- Alex Ovechkin 6-2 223
- Teemu Selanne* 6-0 196
- Henrik Zetterberg* 5-11 195
- Brad Richards* 6-0 196
* – has won a Stanley Cup
For the record, RNH’s current size #’s are 6-1 164 as an 18 year old. At 6-1, he is already taller than St. Louis (a Hart finalist), Selanne (proof that skill and attitude pay off over a career), Zetterberg (premier 2-way player on a premier team), and Richards (2011?s most coveted UFA).
His weight is low, yes, but he is 18 and that’s pretty normal. If he really does have ‘the best on-ice vision since #99?, who really cares what his weight is anyway?
As an aside, Crosby is 5-11 200, Gretzky 6-0 185, and Datsyuk 5-11 194. If these guys aren’t proof that “little guys” can really play, then who is?
Whether or not RNH earns his way into the company of the other players listed in this post is yet to be seen, but there is no doubt that size is not a barrier to it happening.
Oilers fans: if RNH ends up in the fold, you’ve got a potential top-10 scorer for years.