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ry EDMONTON Ryan Nugent-Hopkins(notes) swears he doesn #39;t know. And with those big brown eyes looking directly into yours when he says it, there #39;s little doubt about his sincerity.Tuesday #39;s game between the Oilers and Vancouver Canucks will be Nugent-Hopkins #39; eighth game with the NHL club, leaving Edmonton #39;s brain trust just one more game to decide whether to keep the first england football overall pick or send him back to junior for the season.Considering Oilers fans almost broke Twitter when it was suggested the 18-year-old Burnaby native might be a healthy scratch against the New York Rangers this past Saturday, there #39;s no need for those who shelled out the couple hundred bucks for an official NHL Nugent-Hopkins jersey to have buyer #39;s remorse. The kid, who just so happens england football to lead the Oilers in scoring with five goals and seven points in seven games, isn #39;t going anywhere, least of all the WHL #39;s Red Deer Rebels. No one #39;s said anything to me yet, so I honestly don #39;t know, said Nugent-Hopkins, following the Oilers #39; game day skate on Tuesday. I #39;m really trying not to read too much into anything right now and want to put all my focus into playin england football g my best every time I #39;m on the ice. All I #39;ve been doing is taking it one game at a time since the start of training camp so nothing changes in that regard. We #39;ll all know soon enough. Now, as for his employers? Well, let #39;s just say general manager Steve Tambellini and head coach Tom Renney are a little more well versed in the art of deception. Although Renney may have shown his ca england football rds with his comments earlier in the week. -He #39;s doing a good job, said Renney, on Monday. On top of his points, our defensive structure isn #39;t lost on him. Tambellini, on the other hand, dodged the question on whether he #39;s made up his mind or not on the team #39;s next young phenom. I #39;m not going there, he said. What I will say is I knew he #39;d make the decision difficul england football t for us, but that #39;s a great problem to have. If he proves he #39;s ready, he #39;s ready, but we #39;ll cross that line after Thursday. Either way, we #39;ll do the right thing. Adding to the intrigue, Taylor Hall(notes), last year #39;s first overall pick, was informed by Oilers management after just four games that he would be sticking with the big club as an 18-year-old.SMART CHOICE: The C england football anucks held an optional skate prior to their game against the Oilers, with Henrik Sedin(notes), Ryan Kesler(notes), Kevin Bieksa(notes), Sami Salo(notes) and Dan Hamhuis(notes) the notables who were not present.One guy that definitely wasn #39;t going to take a pass was the newly acquired David Booth(notes). Not only would it be bad form, considering he was only with the club for two days at the t england football ime, but there were some practical reasons as well.-Oh no, I have to get the jet-leg out, it was a long travel day and practice [Monday] was a little tougher than most,- said Booth, who came over in a trade with the Florida Panthers in exchange for Mikael Samuelsson(notes) and Marco Sturm(notes). -Have to keep getting the legs and hands under me.-While Booth #39;s relationship with Canucks #39; Ry england football an Kesler, Chris Higgins(notes) and Keith Ballard(notes) has been well documented since his arrival, it turns out one of his closest friends is Oilers defenceman Corey Potter(notes). The two were teammates together from the age of eight all the way through college.-I played my whole career with him,- said Booth. -I played minor hockey, then juniors with him with the USA program, then we went to Mi england football chigan State together. He #39;s one of my best friends and a really good player. I think Edmonton is really lucky to have him on their team.-Booth and Potter shared an apartment in their junior and senior years with the Spartans, with the former taking credit for being the better roomie.-You can even ask him he would say I was,- said Booth, with a big smile. -No, he #39;s a good guy and he #39;s england football quite the prankster. QUOTEABLE: Just a tiny bit. Oilers head coach Tom Renney when asked if the addition of Kesler and Booth was anything to worry about for the Oilers. Neither were in the lineup the last time the two teams met on Oct. 15.iwalker@vancouversun.comwww.twitter.com/WalkerBigTalker Play Fantasy Hockey, now with Pro Leagues! Updated 8 hours, 5 minutes ago england football
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