Ryan Nugent-Hopkins powers Oilers win over Avalanche as three injuries hit lineup

Dach is a 23-year-old winger, a 2021 first-round pick by Chicago, and his $825,000 deal expires this summer as an RFA. Ty Emberson carries a $1.3 million cap hit, and Tristan Jarry is locked in at $5.375 million through 2027-28.

That is the roster hit now. It is not just pain, it is lineup math.

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins drove the win with two goals, his 16th and 17th, and Connor McDavid buried the power-play winner late. Edmonton climbed past Vegas into second in the Pacific on 72 points after improving to 32-25-8.

Jarry deserves real credit. He came in cold for Ingram and stopped 11 of 12 shots to close it.

The big swing came when Nathan MacKinnon crashed the crease and knocked Ingram out, leaving Edmonton down to 11 forwards, five defencemen and one healthy goalie.

You can already feel the fan mood, pride over the win, dread over what Thursday might look like.

If Dach misses time, the Oilers lose a cheap, young forechecker who was just starting to carve out a bottom-six role. If Emberson sits, the right side gets thinner fast and tougher minutes start leaking upward.

If Ingram cannot go in Dallas, this stops being a feel-good relief story and becomes a crease problem again. His $1.95 million deal expires after this season, so the net picture is already delicate.

The on-ice fit is simple, Edmonton can survive one injury with structure, but three at once attacks the forecheck, the blue line rotation, and the plan between the pipes. That is why this win felt huge and fragile at the same time.

Thursday against the Stars is the next truth test. Nugent-Hopkins gave them points, now the depth has to give them a pulse.