Do you view Bouchard as a #1 D? If you do, I think it would be one of the best things to happen in hockey if we also offer sheeted him. Imagine the melt down, it would be glorious.
I don't really see any argument that he isn't. We can debate over whether he is a high end #1, whether it is wise to pay what he would demand, or the pros/cons of your 1D being so offense-focused instead of a fully well rounded guy (who isn't elite in any one specific area).
But none of that would lead to a conclusion that he's not a 1D. He's coming off an 82 point season where he played 23 minutes a night and finished 5th in Norris voting. He went up to 25 minutes a night in the playoffs and he had 32 points in 25 games on their run to the Final. He is the QB on the league's best PP and while he plays a very offense-heavy role, his underlying numbers are dominant in that role.
His numbers are certainly inflated/influenced by playing with McDrai, but he also has an absolute bomb of a shot and creates quite a bit on his own. I'm not sold that he's a point per game D man on just any NHL roster, but you don't need to be that in order to be a #1.
Realistically, the question is whether he is an elite 1D, not whether he is a 1D.