Player Discussion Evan Bouchard

[fuswald]

Gonna be very expensive this summer.

 

[Stoneman89]

One of Bouch's first places he'll be visiting shortly after the season ends.

 

[dustrock]

We were joking in the crowd today every Bouch Bomb: $9m! $10m! $11m!

 

[Whoshattenkirkshoes]

Besides makar and maybe Morrisey who would be clear cut better than Bouchard?

So I guess he’d be 3rd best, a lot closer to being true than saying he plays like a AHLer some games.

That depends if he plays like this or plays like he did in the regular season.

If he plays like this he's arguably team Canada's 2nd or 3rd best. The thing is he hasn't played like this before for an extended stretch.

 

[Whoshattenkirkshoes]

Who's better than him besides Makar? Doughty, Parayko, and Sanheim? LMFAO! Devon Toews was like the make a wish kid being carried by Makar. Harley actually played very well for Canada at 4 Nations but we're all watching this series right now. They're not the same tier of player. Not even close. Only one you might be able to argue is Morrissey, but Morrissey wasn't able to control almost every shift the way number 2 can. Meanwhile Bouchard is making Heiskanen/Harley look like Lindell/Ceci and is making Lindell/Ceci look like, well, Lindell/Ceci.

Heiskanen is better than Bouchard, but yes Bouchard playing like this would be a top 2/3 on Canada. The thing is he has never really played this well before. I'm very impressed by Bouchard this playoff run.

 

[oobga]

Heiskanen is better than Bouchard, but yes Bouchard playing like this would be a top 2/3 on Canada. The thing is he has never really played this well before. I'm very impressed by Bouchard this playoff run.

Bouch was great last playoffs. Was making all kinds of elite defensive plays and even better GF% and xGF%. Just many people wanted to give all credit to Ekholm which kinda twisted how they viewed his outstanding play.

This playoffs, he's actually 5v5 1 goal against short (14) on ice than he was for all of last playoffs 5v5 (15). His stats are still amazing with basically anyone but Nurse, but Bouch-Ek was one of the best D pairs ever in a playoff run, and Bouch played a massive part of that happening. I hope we get to see it again soon.

 

[Jimmi McJenkins]

Bouch was great last playoffs. Was making all kinds of elite defensive plays and even better GF% and xGF%. Just many people wanted to give all credit to Ekholm which kinda twisted how they viewed his outstanding play.

Shat's Bouchard thing is personal, no point in arguing, he will not see anything beyond the hill he's dying on.

 

[jesusbuiltmyhotrod]

No doubt our Blueline has been really good these playoffs. (Without Ekholm!)

It was really funny listening to Jason B talk about how the Oilers D and goalies are our weak point....

Does he even watch? Our Blueline has been fantastic.

Most of the talking heads are clueless to be honest. Same as last year underestimating the oil

 

[SaltNPeca]

Man did Bouchard smash that narrative into pieces. He might be even better this playoff than last defensively, without Ekholm. Seems like the talks of him being a top 10 Dman in the league this past offseason were justified. I'll take a Dman with a so so regular season that elevates to god status in the playoffs every time and we're talking about 14 goals, 67 points and a +14 with his usual strong metrics being "so so" lol. I wonder how much of his dips this season were due to Ekholm not being himself.

People need to remember that he's 25 and highly talented (since childhood)

Many of his defensive lapses are something like "brain farts". He makes wild mistakes, or is too chill & confident handling the puck. He's not very intense in general, but dials up his intensity for playoffs.
I'm not sure we'll ever see a Bouchard with Pronger-like intensity, but with age and experience his unforced errors will reduce.

I love that Paul Coffey is mentoring him. Creativity and skill should not be coached out of a talent like this.

 

[Pucklington]

He's elevated again.

Clearly he can be with Makar and Quinn if he focuses on defensive side. Been Edmonton's best player the entire playoffs in just how consistent he is.

Been elite both sides of puck.

Maybe he's a guy that is top 10 in regular season and top 3 NHL in Playoffs when things get serious... that's not a bad thing...

 

[Whoshattenkirkshoes]

Bouch was great last playoffs. Was making all kinds of elite defensive plays and even better GF% and xGF%. Just many people wanted to give all credit to Ekholm which kinda twisted how they viewed his outstanding play.

This playoffs, he's actually 5v5 1 goal against short (14) on ice than he was for all of last playoffs 5v5 (15). His stats are still amazing with basically anyone but Nurse, but Bouch-Ek was one of the best D pairs ever in a playoff run, and Bouch played a massive part of that happening. I hope we get to see it again soon.

Bouchard was good last playoffs, but was still too inconsistent. This year aside from the first two games he has been playing like a stud top NHL defensemen and has been doing it with Brett Kulak as his D partner.

We ain't there yet, but If Bouchard keeps this up and we really pull this off he may be our internal SMYTHE champion.

If we beat Dallas it will be interesting if Bouchard can keep this play up vs FLA

 

[MessierII]

I’ve said this for a long time now but he’s the 3rd most talented player on the team and is as important to the core as Leon and Connor. 8 year deal at whatever it takes. He’s worth it.

 

[Drivesaitl]

We were joking in the crowd today every Bouch Bomb: $9m! $10m! $11m!

His best play yesterday wasn't even a goal.

Heiskanen is staring at an out, straight up ice to spring an odd man rush. Booch reads that, steps in, and calmly and perfectly intercepts the pass, in one motion fakes the pants off a Stars player, walks in slot and fires a howitzer that Ott somehow got.

Heiskanen just looked at Booch after that, nodded his head as if to say "Damn you're good kid"

Booch on that play owned one of the acknowledged best D in the league. But Booch is one of the best D in the world and no secret anymore.

Always said Booch is the third most talented player on this team. Filthy skill.

 

[Slats432]

I love playoff Bouch. That is all.

 

[Drivesaitl]

One of Bouch's first places he'll be visiting shortly after the season ends.

View attachment 1042071View attachment 1042071

Back up the brinks truck. Playoff NHL D numbers during Booch career.

NHL Stats

The official source for NHL Stats including skaters, goalies, teams stats and more.

www.nhl.com

Any questions?

 

[Jimmi McJenkins]

Back up the brinks truck. Playoff NHL D numbers during Booch career.

NHL Stats

The official source for NHL Stats including skaters, goalies, teams stats and more.

www.nhl.com

Any questions?

He has 6 game winners over that time, many guys on that list barely have 6 f***ing goals.

 

[Drivesaitl]

He has 6 game winners over that time, many guys on that list barely have 6 f***ing goals.

Also to those that would say he's PP reliant he has the most EVP among any D in that Span. He's best really in any production category anybody would mention.

In go time he's the best D in the world and not just offensively.

 

[Da McBomb]

After 2 strong consecutive playoffs... somewhere some GM is preparing an RFA offer for Bouchard..

 

[Slats432]

After 2 strong consecutive playoffs... somewhere some GM is preparing an RFA offer for Bouchard..

We aren't as vulnerable as we were last year.

 

[Jimmi McJenkins]

We aren't as vulnerable as we were last year.

And I get the feeling they absolutely have a extension ready for after the playoffs.

 

[Oilers88]

Gonna be very expensive this summer.

 

[Fourier]

Bouchard was good last playoffs, but was still too inconsistent. This year aside from the first two games he has been playing like a stud top NHL defensemen and has been doing it with Brett Kulak as his D partner.

We ain't there yet, but If Bouchard keeps this up and we really pull this off he may be our internal SMYTHE champion.

If we beat Dallas it will be interesting if Bouchard can keep this play up vs FLA

Bouchard had a great playoffs last year. No defenseman is going to be mistake free, and young guys like Bouchard who can make extraordinary plays are always going to be prone to high profile errors. But he had a historic year in terms of points, both overall and 5 vs 5. That is completely undeniable. In 25 games he was on the ice for only 15 GA 5 vs 5. That is a rate of 1.88 GA/60 playing big minutes vs the best players from the top teams in the league. You can micro analyze his game all you want but its a results based business and few NHL defensemen have had the type of results he had last playoffs.

 

[OG Eberle]

Man did Bouchard smash that narrative into pieces. He might be even better this playoff than last defensively, without Ekholm. Seems like the talks of him being a top 10 Dman in the league this past offseason were justified. I'll take a Dman with a so so regular season that elevates to god status in the playoffs every time and we're talking about 14 goals, 67 points and a +14 with his usual strong metrics being "so so" lol. I wonder how much of his dips this season were due to Ekholm not being himself.

To be fair, the only people parroting that Bouch was being carried were the same people who just spammed he was MAB 2.0 and "can't play defense to save his life" in every public forum possible.

Not sure how many of us who have eyes and don't have short-positions on Bouchards career arc ever took them seriously

 

[Fixed to Ruin]

Evan Bouchard in the regular season

Evan Bouchard in the playoffs

 

[McAsuno]

Cup winners:
Crosby and Malkin had Letang.
Ovy and Backstrom had Carlson.
MacKinnon and Rantanen had Makar.
Toews and Kane had Keith.
Kopitar and Brown had Doughty.
Ror and Tarasenko had Pietrangelo.

McDavid and Draisaitl have Bouchard. Bouchard is the Oilers undisputed #1 D man and should get paid rightfully for it.