Speculation: Evan Bouchard asking $11M AAV on his next deal

[Baksfamous112]

On any other team Bouchard is a 45-50 points PP specialist. If this guy gets anywhere near 11M per Oilers window is done for

 

[GOALOFSSON]

ya Dahlin is a great player but Bouchard outscored him at every strength, was on the ice for less GA and is a proven ELITE playoff performer, unlike Dahlin
he's getting that kind of money

Tbf how much of that was because Bouchard played with McDraiHolm and for a team that wasn't the Sabres.

I still see the 18 year old Dahlin hype still continuing on these boards. If he was so good, you would think he would at least win one Norris like Fox, Makar and Hughes. The most overhyped dman on these boards still going by their predraft hype more than accomplishment on the ice.

See the thing is you could very easily flip this and call him the most under-rated. Still see the same old people clinging to the Krueger years for some reason.

He was only 2nd in D scoring for most of the year as a 22yo (behind only Karlssons crazy season) and followed it up by having to lead his team in points. That's not exactly pre-draft hype...

I think Bouchard is more valuable than dahlin because Bouchard is a RD. RD are a premium. If hronek got 7.5 mil per, Bouchard getting 10mil as a RD isn’t as outrageous as you think.

I don't think being an RD gives you quite that much extra value

 

[ChaoticOrange]

Does anyone who actually goes to games think like that?

These guys are entertainment, nothing more. A winning season and playoff run are great fun but of course witness a Cup win would be 100x better.

What makes you think I don't go to games?

That's what separates fairweather Canucks fans from fans that actually give a shit.

On any other team Bouchard is a 45-50 points PP specialist. If this guy gets anywhere near 11M per Oilers window is done for

He'd be the best player on the Habs by a mile.

 

[Baksfamous112]

What makes you think I don't go to games?

That's what separates fairweather Canucks fans from fans that actually give a shit.


He'd be the best player on the Habs by a mile.

Yeah I genuinely doubt that

 

[ChaoticOrange]

Yeah I genuinely doubt that

The only guy remotely close is Suzuki and nobody's taking him over Bouchard.

 

[spaghtti]

Where are my Habs friends that are going to offersheet Bouchard? Did you change your minds?

 

[Baksfamous112]

The only guy remotely close is Suzuki and nobody's taking him over Bouchard.

If you say so. Good luck with Bouchard at 11M a year.

 

[ChaoticOrange]

If you say so. Good luck with Bouchard at 11M a year.

Good luck being an irrelevant sideshow

 

[EdmFlyersfan]

He'd be the best player on the Habs by a mile.

I remember the Oilers board when they said the same about Nurse after his 1 good season during COVID...how a few years later it's the polar opposite. I would pump the brakes kid.

 

[Skolman]

I remember the Oilers board when they said the same about Nurse after his 1 good season during COVID...how a few years later it's the polar opposite. I would pump the brakes kid.

Your obsession with the Oilers is weird, for a guy who claims you hate them.

Anyways, every fan base has had people say dumb s***. If you think Nurse & Bouchard are comparable though, that's quite something.

 

[ChaoticOrange]

I remember the Oilers board when they said the same about Nurse after his 1 good season during COVID...how a few years later it's the polar opposite. I would pump the brakes kid.

I'll take things that didn't happen for $800. Ken.

I'd be shocked if you're a day over 25, child, so simmer down and speak when spoken to.

 

[Unspecified]

Thats $3.6 mil per year more than Heiskanen

 

[spaghtti]

Thats $3.6 mil per year more than Heiskanen

You mean the same Heiskanen that is now in year 4 of his 8 year contract! Great comparison ! Give your head a shake

 

[heilongjetsfan]

I would be very happy to see him get this money from any team but mine.

 

[Baksfamous112]

I remember the Oilers board when they said the same about Nurse after his 1 good season during COVID...how a few years later it's the polar opposite. I would pump the brakes kid.

No doubt about that. They’re going to yet again overpay for a D when it’s a product of McDavid/Draisaitl and wonder why he’s not producing as the highest paid D in the league.

The likelihood of them having another Nurse-type contract on their hands is big

I would be very happy to see him get this money from any team but mine.

Can you imagine a 20M pairing in Edmonton of Nurse and Bouchard. That would be something.

I think this year is the last year Edmonton is relevant. They’ll soon start fading like Toronto has been in the past 3-4 years with a clear lack of depth and nothing worthy in the pipeline

 

[Baksfamous112]

You mean the same Heiskanen that is now in year 4 of his 8 year contract! Great comparison ! Give your head a shake

If Bouchard gets 11M then Heiskanen would be getting 15-16M in this market. Not even close to being comparables

 

[spaghtti]

If Bouchard gets 11M then Heiskanen would be getting 15-16M in this market. Not even close to being comparables

Read again I never made the comparison

 

[Chips]

I want to see him put up a whole regular season at well over ppg before feeling super confident at 11 mil. McDrai go god mode in the playoffs and he was ppg in the regular season.


I’d also like to see him excel over a meaningful stretch of games (more than several) without Ekholm out of curiosity. I think he can do it, but early last season and previous season without that partner and Bouch looked a lot less consistent defensively.

11 mil to me is a defenseman who can carry a pair with almost anyone eg Hedman playing with Rutta who was okay but probably not a top pair dman on most teams.

 

[bucks_oil]

Sure he had a lot of points last year but until than he never had more than 40 points,

What are you talking about, He had 43 two seasons ago… 35 of which were at EV

is a product of the pp and the fact he's never not with McDavid.

I think he has a hell of a bomb from the point but anyone who says most of his assists aren't more of a result of who he plays with are kidding themselves, same with anyone who denies that Ekholm deserves an award for completely carries that pairing.

Bottom line he's a product of his situation and is about to get way overpaid and as a nucks fan I'm all for it

If Bouchard is such a PP specialist, why did he have 47 points at even strength last year?

If he’s such a product of McD, Drai and Ekholm, why does he have a 65% xGF% and 57% goal share with all three of those guys OFF the ice?

Line Stats - Natural Stat Trick

www.naturalstattrick.com

The stats are all publicly available… you should check them before spouting off.

 

[WetcoastOrca]

His offensive numbers are somewhat overstated by playing with McDrai but he also helps those two players offensively as well and is a key part of the league’s top PP.

Personally, I’d want to see him play one more year at the same level as last year before handing out that kind of contract. And improve on his D play.
Nurse grabbed his huge contract based on a one year outlier and look how that went.

That said, the Oilers really have no choice but to re-sign him as you cant realistically acquire a D like that in free agency or through trade and the D without Bouchard would be pretty bleak. He’s got them over a bit of a barrel so he has a lot of leverage. It’s really the Nurse contract that hampers the team.

 

[Pablo El Perro]

I like the kid, might be a bit high at 11 million, but if his defensive game develops a bit more, he's easily worth it.

 

[Kocur Dill]

So...

8x$8.25m ?

 

[Nut Upstrom]

Good. Bend Bowman over that barrel.

 

[Intangir]

On any other team Bouchard is a 45-50 points PP specialist. If this guy gets anywhere near 11M per Oilers window is done for

Neutral fan here disagreeing with you.

On an average team Bouchard would still get roughly ≅60 points a year. He would just get exposed more defensively and have less chance to ride the best player's in the world's coattails and get free assists is all.

I actually think Bouchard is another interesting case of a player both overrated by Oilers fans but also how underrated by other fanbases, a classic example of the adage "the Truth is somewhere in the middle" if you will.

As far as salary goes though, I'd say that I agree with your take somewhat. Depending on their cap structure, a team COULD theoretically win with Bouchard making $11M a year.

But the Oilers specifically, with the Draisaitl and Nurse contracts already taking a lot of space, and what will assuredly be a substantial raise for McDavid too, will have trouble icing a competitive team with good depth if they sign Bouchard for that amount of cap.

Unless they manage to finesse their cap troubles a bit in some way.

 

[viceroy]

So...

8x$8.25m ?

Naaahhh... He'll take the McDrai hometown discount, 8x10.75.