Player Discussion Evan Bouchard

[LTIR]

If Draisaitl leaves, who will take his place as your #1 whipping boy?

I whip em all when they mess up so I guess the answer is "whichever whip offends you the most"

Ekholm.

Skinner, Nurse, Desharnais , Nuge..
O the possibilities

 

[The Nuge]

Both are UFAs after next season and are looking to get paid big bucks. Both are prone to unforced giveaways.

Bouch is a RFA, and we don’t know a thing about either of them “looking to get paid big bucks”

If Draisaitl leaves, who will take his place as your #1 whipping boy?

If Leon leaves, Connor’s leaving, and an ugly rebuild happens, so they can come up with all kinds of AHL level players to make their whipping boy, a la the decade of darkness

 

[Duke74]

I whip em all when they mess up so I guess the answer is "whichever whip offends you the most"


Skinner, Nurse, Desharnais , Nuge..
O the possibilities

My lips are sealed...

 

[McFlyingV]

Bouch is a RFA, and we don’t know a thing about either of them “looking to get paid big bucks”



If Leon leaves, Connor’s leaving, and an ugly rebuild happens, so they can come up with all kinds of AHL level players to make their whipping boy, a la the decade of darkness

Pretty much. It's why I find parts of this fanbase insufferable at times. I hope everyone realizes just how special it's been to have McDavid and Draisaitl. If Draisaitl leaves McDavid leaves and if that happens this team won't make the playoffs for 10-15 years minimum.

 

[Tobias Kahun]

It's not just one play with Ekholm. His very first shift he got deked/walked around for a point blank shot against. Love his new found offense but he has been pinching in way too much and occasionally getting caught up ice. Maybe Coffey will lock em both down a bit in playoffs.

Using a couple plays to say Bouchard cleans up for his mistakes?

Did you see the Bouchard pinch that lead to a goal against for their 2nd goal?

 

[Broberg Speed]

He's fine defensively. He's rarely out of position and uses his stick well. Does not get outmuscled either. Maybe not Norris material, but definitely a legit No.1 D-man on one of the best teams in the league.

fantastic sarcasm you had me going for a minute

 

[bobbythebrain]

Wanting to trade a 80 point dman who is on one the most dominant pairings the NHL has ever had

 

[ChaoticOrange]

View attachment 845487

Wanting to trade a 80 point dman who is on one the most dominant pairings the NHL has ever had

Lately Bouchard opinions are my litmus test as to whether someone actually understands what they're watching or not.

Eye testers that hate Bouchard suggest to me they spend more time playing candy crush on their phones than actually watching hockey games.

 

[Broberg Speed]

Lately Bouchard opinions are my litmus test as to whether someone actually understands what they're watching or not.

Eye testers that hate Bouchard suggest to me they spend more time playing candy crush on their phones than actually watching hockey games.

Blind Bouchard lovers make it a strange environment to be an Oiler fan in.

I want the Oilers to succeed in the playoffs yet it's difficult to see a path to the cup with Bouchard facing star players on elite contending teams for 24 minutes a night. I envisage Bouchard collapsing under the sustained pressure.

I'd never cheer against Bouchard in the playoffs because that would mean cheering for the Oilers to be eliminated. So i'll have to hope for the best but I won't hold back my criticism of the player. Any critique of Bouchard enrages the Bouchard fan base to commit vile transgressions on hfboards. That's what it comes down to.

Those who refuse to see the glaring faults in Bouchard's game are pretty damned irritating. It's 100% complete denial over what is likely to happen in the playoffs.

 

[McFlyingV]

It's not just one play with Ekholm. His very first shift he got deked/walked around for a point blank shot against. Love his new found offense but he has been pinching in way too much and occasionally getting caught up ice. Maybe Coffey will lock em both down a bit in playoffs.

Thats a pretty terrible take on that play tbh. Ekholm was caught flat footed on that play because of an unlucky bounce on the Bouchard pass to McDavid. Hard for a guy who doesn't have a ton of foot speed to recover in that spot when the guy coming at him is skating onto the puck against a D who has to pivot from a standstill. He actually did a pretty good job given the circumstance to force a medium quality scoring chance on something that could have been much worse.

 

[bobbythebrain]

Bouchard hit 2 posts almost giving Edmonton another win over Vegas. He had 13 points in 12 games.
The Nurse-Ceci pairing has been a disaster for several playoffs now

Anyone claiming Bouchard is the glaring liability to a cup run is purely delusional and has an agenda
To say this and simultaneously pawn yourself off as someone who understands hockey is bad humor. At least try

 

[ChaoticOrange]

Bouchard hit 2 posts almost giving Edmonton another win over Vegas. He had 13 points in 12 games.
The Nurse-Ceci pairing has been a disaster for several playoffs now

Anyone claiming Bouchard is the glaring liability to a cup run is purely delusional and has an agenda
To say this and simultaneously pawn yourself off as someone who understands hockey is bad humor. At least try

and apparently can't even read a HockeyDB card, since Bouchard has been elite in the playoffs at every single level in his entire career.

Some fans can only understand hockey up to off the glass and out and simply can't process high level playmaking and puck management.

 

[bobbythebrain]

Thats a pretty terrible take on that play tbh. Ekholm was caught flat footed on that play because of an unlucky bounce on the Bouchard pass to McDavid. Hard for a guy who doesn't have a ton of foot speed to recover in that spot when the guy coming at him is skating onto the puck against a D who has to pivot from a standstill. He actually did a pretty good job given the circumstance to force a medium quality scoring chance on something that could have been much worse.

Your breakdown here is pretty accurate other than the pivot. Ekholm f'ed up. He went one way, the skater went the other.
Ekholm is a beast but that play was on him. No biggie tho. Great players make mistakes too.

 

[McFlyingV]

and apparently can't even read a HockeyDB card, since Bouchard has been elite in the playoffs at every single level in his entire career.

Some fans can only understand hockey up to off the glass and out and simply can't process high level playmaking and puck management.

I love when people criticize him holding onto pucks too long. I absolutely love his patience and calmness with the puck. Does he get in trouble the odd time for it? Sure, but his ability to hold onto pucks when other D would panic has a big impact on possession and opening up offensive situations that other D would never see.

Your breakdown here is pretty accurate other than the pivot. Ekholm f'ed up. He went one way, the skater went the other.
Ekholm is a beast but that play was on him. No biggie tho. Great players make mistakes too.

He bit on it sure, but at a standstill he doesn't really have much opportunity to do much more than guess in that situation. Still forced a mediocre scoring chance instead of a prime look down the middle of the slot.

 

[CupofOil]

To me, Bouchard is now the defensively responsible one on his pairing. Ekholm was the clear baby sitter last season but now Bouchard is covering up for him more than the other way around. Hopefully both will be able to outscore their defensive lapses in playoffs like they have done in regular season.

The +41 says that Ekholm outscores all these apparent mistakes and by an extremely big margin and it's not only gravy McDavid +'s, see 4th line goal against St. Louis as the most recent example. Ekholm has been pinching more lately but, outside of the Blues game, I haven't noticed an abnormal amount of odd man rushes against the duo.

I understand a few mistakes happen here and there but there are 4 players this season that has earned a ton of rope and should be given the benefit of the doubt when those few mistakes do happen and that's Ekholm-Bouchard and McDavid-Hyman. Those guys tilt the ice in such an overwhelming manner that they should be allowed to have a few mistakes here and there.

 

[foshizzle]

I've never put anyone on ignore yet but you're pushing it.

lol, go ahead. Put me on ignore. I asked you to show your work on what makes you believe Bouchard is a bad player- you couldn’t. You then said I believe in lies. Lolz

 

[McDNicks17]

Imagine being worried about the best elite comp pairing in the league facing elite comp.

 

[Broberg Speed]

Imagine being worried about the best elite comp pairing in the league facing elite comp.

plan the parade

 

[Jimmi McJenkins]

plan the parade

That the real facts are killing you is terrific

 

[Broberg Speed]

That the real facts are killing you is terrific

I'm not convinced, seeing is believing.

 

[Gunnersaurus Rex]

He's fine defensively. He's rarely out of position and uses his stick well. Does not get outmuscled either. Maybe not Norris material, but definitely a legit No.1 D-man on one of the best teams in the league.

Lol...are we talking about the same Evan Bouchard? rarely out of position? Fine defensively?

 

[bobbythebrain]

Imagine complaining about Bouchard and wanting to trade him for a defensive defenseman when you have Darnell Nurse on the team lmao.
Nurse puts together a good solid game 1 out of 20 nowadays. The other 19 are filled w/ efforts like yesterday

 

[Whoshattenkirkshoes]

Imagine complaining about Bouchard and wanting to trade him for a defensive defenseman when you have Darnell Nurse on the team lmao.
Nurse puts together a good solid game 1 out of 20 nowadays. The other 19 are filled w/ efforts like yesterday

Bouchard was worse than Nurse yesterday. Every time Bouchard has the puck I cringe/panic. I just pray he doesn't make a stupid turnover

 

[Jimmi McJenkins]

Bouchard was worse than Nurse yesterday. Every time Bouchard has the puck I cringe/panic. I just pray he doesn't make a stupid turnover

You are f***ing insane if you think this sincerely. Nurse was an utter disaster last night. Bouchard had a tough game, most players do in a 5-0 loss, but Nurse was FAR worse and it's not even remotely close.

 

[InTheBox]

Bouchard's brain is his problem. He's got skill. But his hockey IQ is low. No way do I sign this guy for 8 plus million