How Ryan Nugent-Hopkins has been Oilers' Swiss Army knife - ESPN

EDMONTON, Alberta — If the Edmonton Oilers were handing out superlatives, then Ryan Nugent-Hopkins would be their (not-so) secret weapon.

Don't take just anyone's word for it, though. It's the sort of distinction only a team's captain — and arguably the NHL's best player — can hand out in a statement that seemed to reverberate among those following the Oilers' playoff run.

«He's our Swiss Army knife,» Connor McDavid said of Nugent-Hopkins after the Oilers' 6-1 drubbing of the Dallas Stars in Game 3 of the Western Conference finals Sunday. «And he's playing really, really well. Just solid overall, making plays, doing his thing. He's asked to do everything every single night. He's playing great.»

Evander Kane — a frequent linemate of Nugent-Hopkins' — can't hide a wry smile when asked about his teammate's play. He caught McDavid's declaration, and doubled down on how it applies to Nugent-Hopkins' dominance in the postseason so far.

«I've heard it [everywhere] probably the last 24 hours, the term 'Swiss Army knife,'» Kane said Monday. «So I'll just repeat it. [Nugent-Hopkins] is a player that is very versatile. He sees the ice well, has good poise out there to make plays. He's had a really, really good playoffs. He's had an even better [Western Conference finals] series. So if we can continue to get that type of game from him, obviously, that helps our team greatly.»

Nugent-Hopkins' latest performance was so strong that it shoved him further into the spotlight on a star-studded Oilers team. Edmonton's longest-tenured skater was at his best in Sunday's Game 3, collecting three assists on highlight reel-worthy playmaking that included an eye-popping give-and-go sequence with McDavid in the first period.

The veteran has two