BLOG: Nugent-Hopkins, Kapanen nearing returns from injury after skating on Monday

EDMONTON, AB – The Nuge and Kappy are nearing returns.

Forwards Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Kasperi Kapanen were back on the ice on Monday morning for practice, joining their teammates on the ice at the Downtown Community Arena for their first full-team skate in nearly two weeks after the Edmonton Oilers returned from their long seven-game road trip.

"The first little bit I was definitely taking it slow, then I could ramp it up on the ice a little bit, but it's a long trip for the guys," Nugent-Hopkins said. "It was a little lonely for Kappy and me here for a while, so it's nice to see the guys and get back out there with them."

Nugent-Hopkins hasn't suited up in game action since Nov. 8 due to an undisclosed injury he sustained in Edmonton's 9-1 loss to Colorado, while Kapanen has been on Long Term Injured Reserve for more than a month after he sustained a lower-body injury on Oct. 19 during a 4-2 defeat in Detroit.

Head Coach Kris Knoblauch said that Nugent-Hopkins is questionable for Tuesday's meeting with the Dallas Stars at Rogers Place, while Kapanen won't be ready to play. But both forwards are possibilities for Saturday's matinée matchup with the Seattle Kraken at Climate Pledge Arena, as the Oilers look to get two of their regular forwards back in the lineup on the West Coast this weekend after neither was available during their previous 3-3-1 Eastern road trip.

Knoblauch also added that defenceman Jake Walman won't be available to face the Stars after he didn't take part in Monday's practice. Both forwards Noah Philp and Curtis Lazar – the former of which was placed on LTIR to enable the call-up of Connor Clattenburg on Friday – remain at least a week away.

As the Oilers grinded through a stretch of seven games in 12 days that involved some intense travel demands, including two back-to-back sets, Nugent-Hopkins and Kapanen were stuck in limbo back at Rogers Place, pacing through their recovery and taking part in skates to keep their fitness up.

For Nugent-Hopkins, their schedule at home only paled in comparison to what his teammates went through on the road, where they travelled a combined 7,349 kilometres during their season-longest seven-game road trip, while both he and Kapanen had to focus only on making the short trak to Rogers Place.

"I was skating the past week for sure, maybe a little before that, too, but it was pretty simple," Nugent-Hopkins said. "I'd skate, I'd work out, I'd go home, I'd have a nap and then wake up. Definitely watched the guys play and obviously spent a lot of time with my daughter, but it was like Groundhog Day every day while the guys were gone. It was pretty simple, but just trying to stay mentally in it as much as you can, talking to the guys as often as possible and staying in shape physically, too."

"I think these guys went through a little more than me, but we tried to stay in shape as best as we could, and the first one back felt good."

If it were up to Nugent-Hopkins and Kapanen, they'd both say they're ready to play on Tuesday against the Stars, but Nugent-Hopkins understands that the decision isn't exactly in his hands, and caution will have to be taken to preserve his long-term availability if he isn't given the green light.

"That'll be just a conversation with the docs here," Nugent-Hopkins said. "I gotta go have that, but I'm obviously competitive. I want to get back out there. There's no question about that. But it's obviously about making sure that I'm good to go for the long haul, too."

Coach Knoblauch said that he foresees Nugent-Hopkins returning to his regular jack-of-all-trades role when he's ready, which includes his place on the top power-play unit and the penalty kill while flipping between being a first-line winger and third-line centre depending on what the situation calls for.

Nugent-Hopkins was off to a brilliant start this season with 16 points (five goals) in 16 games prior to his injury.

"I think he can be both," Knoblauch said of Nugent-Hopkins playing as a first-line winger or third-line centre. "Obviously, there's chemistry between him and McDavid. They played a lot together, but Leon would be playing with Connor sometimes, too. If Leon's playing with Connor, then we definitely need Nugent-Hopkins as a centre. With him coming back, I can see him splitting his time between being a first-line left wing or a third-line centre."

Zach Hyman was the latest Oilers forward to return on their previous road trip, making his long-awaited season debut on the third game of the trip in Carolina two Saturdays ago and recording two assists over the next five games after missing the first 19 games while continuing his rehab from wrist surgery last May.

Hyman mentioned that the Oilers haven't had a fully-healthy roster yet this season, and the returns of Nugent-Hopkins and Kapanen could come at the right time for them to continue building on some of the positives that came from their final two games of the road trip against Tampa Bay and Florida.

"I think we're going to get guys back and we'll get to see what our roster looks like." Hyman said. "We haven't had a healthy roster all year, so I think from that standpoint, it'll be good just to get the full group back. I think we're starting to build our team game. This trip was tough. He played against really good opponents and was able to come out of it even, so I think we're in a good spot to build."