Jekyll and Hyde- What should Edmonton do with Evan Bouchard?

[Right Wing]

He’s one of the greatest passers of all time………,,to the other team!!

 

[jackjohnson]

He should be a 2nd or 3rd pair RD playing PP1 and soft minutes. Unfortunately EDM doesn't have that luxury.

Even Ethan Bear is better than him on defense and Ethan Bear is mediocre lol

 

[wetcoast]

I thought that was a cup favourite lineup, what happened??

Poor start, McDavid injury now squeezing their sticks this season is already over for them sadly.

 

[belair]

Trade for a better right shot defenseman and limit the amount of responsibilities he has a 5v5.

 

[Ceremony]

Based on what I've seen on him he's absolutely rotten and they should get rid immediately.

 

[ponder]

Such a miss-pick over Dobson. On draft day Bouchard was a bit better offensively, better shot especially, but Dobson was much better defensively, a better skater, a bit taller, quicker/more athletic, with better motor/compete.

"Dobson vs. Bouchard" was a very common argument leading up to the draft, they were seen as close, in the same tier, but Dobson over Bouchard was the more common viewpoint. Bouchard is a bit of a throwback, a Sheldon Souray type, and those types just don't do well in the NHL anymore, the game has gotten too fast for a slower moving, lower motor, lower defensive IQ offensive dman to be valuable, even if he is tall and skilled with the pick. Dobson is a legit 2-way guy with the motor, footspeed and defensive hockey IQ to be an impact dman in the modern game.

FWIW, both McKenzie and Button had Dobson over Bouchard on their final lists, as did HFBoards posters. "Same tier but give me Dobson" was the most common viewpoint at the time:

Kotkaniemi surges into top five of TSN Draft Ranking - TSN.ca

Finn’s strong performance at the World Under-18 Championships in April has some scouts believing he’s a potential future No. 1 centre, Bob McKenzie writes. His late push could make the top 10 of the draft more unpredictable than originally anticipated.

www.tsn.ca

Craig’s List: Svechnikov solidifies hold on second spot - TSN.ca

Russian right wing has established himself as the best NHL prospect not named Rasmus Dahlin in TSN Director of Scouting Craig Button’s final draft ranking.

www.tsn.ca

Quinn Hughes vs Noah Dobson Vs Evan Bouchard

Other than Dahlin these 3 D-men intrigue me the most as I am not very high on Boqvist. As a Canucks fan I was really high on Dobson and was a bit disappointed that we didn’t select him however after letting it sink in a bit and watching a ton of videos of Hughes I am a lot less disappointed and...

forums.hfboards.com

 

[jackjohnson]

Poor start, McDavid injury now squeezing their sticks this season is already over for them sadly.

Even with McDavid and Drai going all world, they would not be contenders. Last season was an example when they go all out on all cylinders and have RNH be a 100 point guy but even that wasn't enough to beat Vegas or reach the finals. That was when all the Oilers players overachiever and no injuries were sustained and everything was going gravy for the Oilers. So basically what am saying is that last season was their best shot to win the cup and I don't think they will have that opportunity again like Canucks in their 2011 run. McDavid gave it all last season and they came up empty. So now it's just the question of when McDavid will ask for a trade. That question will be answered in 2 to 3 years time since I don't think McDavid wants to go cupless.

 

[wetcoast]

Even with McDavid and Drai going all world, they would not be contenders. Last season was an example when they go all out on all cylinders and have RNH be a 100 point guy but even that wasn't enough to beat Vegas or reach the finals. That was when all the Oilers players overachiever and no injuries were sustained and everything was going gravy for the Oilers. So basically what am saying is that last season was their best shot to win the cup and I don't think they will have that opportunity again like Canucks in their 2011 run. McDavid gave it all last season and they came up empty. So now it's just the question of when McDavid will ask for a trade. That question will be answered in 2 to 3 years time since I don't think McDavid wants to go cuples

While I tend to agree with this part of winning the SC is luck and the Oilers had zero luck in their last game against Vegas.

Also with 32 teams in the league a lot of fun bases are going to go for their entire lives without seeing a SC or not going as far as some might think like current Leafs and the Sharks for a time.

People will come out with all the conclusions after the fact but luck has a lot to do with it.

 

[TT1]

so you don't wanna extend him for over 8M+ a year?

 

[Bounces R Way]

Can't fix stupid.

The fact that it is now Paul Coffey's job to get this guy to play competent defense is really emblematic of everything wrong with how the Oilers choose to run their hockey team.

 

[ijuka]

Should they continue trusting him, bench him? trade him?

Bouchard is a point per game D-man but has become an absolute defensive liability for Edmonton. Edmonton is tight as it is against the cap and cant afford a 4mil Powerplay Specialist.

Even Ekholm cant carry him anymore. What has happened to Bouchard?

Pros:
Bomb for a Slapshot

Cons:
Defensive Awareness
Lack of Motor
No Physical battle

Lol? He's a point per game defenseman on a 3.9mil contract. That's great value. What do you mean they can't afford to pay him to score a point per game as a defenseman? Yes they can.

What they cannot afford is stuff like paying 5mil to Campbell to be a sieve in AHL. Or 3mil for Kulak to be a replacement level player at best. Or paying Nurse 9mil for reasons.

It's hilarious you're singling out one of their best, most successful players, who's on a steal of a contract to boot.

67 HDCF 46 HDCA. 6 HDGF 12 HDGA

That's the issue. His analytics are great. His PDO is terrible. His 5on5 on-ice save percentage is 86%. Skinner's save% is 87%.

He's a defenseman, not a goaltender. Sorry.

 

[wintersej]

Is this Marc-Andre Bergeron 2.0 for Edmonton?

Barrie

 

[jackjohnson]

While I tend to agree with this part of winning the SC is luck and the Oilers had zero luck in their last game against Vegas.

Also with 32 teams in the league a lot of fun bases are going to go for their entire lives without seeing a SC or not going as far as some might think like current Leafs and the Sharks for a time.

People will come out with all the conclusions after the fact but luck has a lot to do with it.

Yes there is luck involved and it's the reason Canucks haven't won a cup yet eventhough they had a team in 2011 that could have won it easily but they were not lucky enough with injuries during the playoffs. That team should have won the cup because they were more skilled than Boston imo.

 

[larek]

Is this Marc-Andre Bergeron 2.0 for Edmonton?

He's worse than bergeron
Bouchard wasn't quite as bad his first few years but he's just totally become the worst defensive dman in the league

 

[Lt Dan]

They should get him the pink bunny suit for Christmas that Ralphie got from Aunt Clara

 

[Artemi Panarin]

Surely there's a market out there for dmen that can't defend to save their lives.

 

[Oleksiak]

Send him to the AHL where he belongs.

 

[wetcoast]

Yes there is luck involved and it's the reason Canucks haven't won a cup yet eventhough they had a team in 2011 that could have won it easily but they were not lucky enough with injuries during the playoffs. That team should have won the cup because they were more skilled than Boston imo.

Sure but as a Canucks fan they used up all their luck in the first and 3rd rounds.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

Such a miss-pick over Dobson. On draft day Bouchard was a bit better offensively, better shot especially, but Dobson was much better defensively, a better skater, a bit taller, quicker/more athletic, with better motor/compete.

"Dobson vs. Bouchard" was a very common argument leading up to the draft, they were seen as close, in the same tier, but Dobson over Bouchard was the more common viewpoint. Bouchard is a bit of a throwback, a Sheldon Souray type, and those types just don't do well in the NHL anymore, the game has gotten too fast for a slower moving, lower motor, lower defensive IQ offensive dman to be valuable, even if he is tall and skilled with the pick. Dobson is a legit 2-way guy with the motor, footspeed and defensive hockey IQ to be an impact dman in the modern game.

FWIW, both McKenzie and Button had Dobson over Bouchard on their final lists, as did HFBoards posters. "Same tier but give me Dobson" was the most common viewpoint at the time:

Kotkaniemi surges into top five of TSN Draft Ranking - TSN.ca

Finn’s strong performance at the World Under-18 Championships in April has some scouts believing he’s a potential future No. 1 centre, Bob McKenzie writes. His late push could make the top 10 of the draft more unpredictable than originally anticipated.

www.tsn.ca

Craig’s List: Svechnikov solidifies hold on second spot - TSN.ca

Russian right wing has established himself as the best NHL prospect not named Rasmus Dahlin in TSN Director of Scouting Craig Button’s final draft ranking.

www.tsn.ca

Quinn Hughes vs Noah Dobson Vs Evan Bouchard

Other than Dahlin these 3 D-men intrigue me the most as I am not very high on Boqvist. As a Canucks fan I was really high on Dobson and was a bit disappointed that we didn’t select him however after letting it sink in a bit and watching a ton of videos of Hughes I am a lot less disappointed and...

forums.hfboards.com

That type of defenseman can still work in the NHL. I think John Carlson is a better example of what the Oilers were hoping Bouchard can become.

The problem is, even if Carlson's only "meh" defensively, that's still a couple of tiers above what Bouchard seems to be in his own zone.

 

[ijuka]

Surely there's a market out there for dmen that can't defend to save their lives.

His CA/60, xGA/60, HDCA/60 are top 2 or top 3 for defensemen on Oilers. He also clearly drives the play from the defensive zone to the offensive zone. In fact, his numbers are the best on the team on that front. Out of all defensemen and all forwards. All stats 5on5.

But he scores many points, so I guess he must be a disaster defensively.

That type of defenseman can still work in the NHL. I think John Carlson is a better example of what the Oilers were hoping Bouchard can become.

The problem is, even if Carlson's only "meh" defensively, that's still a couple of tiers above what Bouchard seems to be in his own zone.

"Seems to be" yes, if we ignore statistics. Carlson's 5on5 CA/60 is 68.94 while Bouchard's is 48.06. Bouchard xGA/60 2.32, Carlson 3.28. HDCA/60 Bouchard 10.0, Carlson 16.17.

Carlson one of the worst on his team in shot suppression, Bouchard one of the best on his team.

But hey. Because Stuart Skinner is at .873, I guess that's Bouchard's fault.


Sorry but he's not a superhuman who can mind control his goaltender to make a save.

 

[HugeInTheShire]

Make him play wing lol.

 

[AmabileCassarole]

Can't fix stupid.

The fact that it is now Paul Coffey's job to get this guy to play competent defense is really emblematic of everything wrong with how the Oilers choose to run their hockey team.

But he's from the eighties, and they know something about winning, if there's ever any concern.

Simply put, the Oilers are Uncle Rico from Napoleon Dynamite. No other team is as obsessed with the good old days as they are.

 

[OKR]

His CA/60, xGA/60, HDCA/60 are top 2 or top 3 for defensemen on Oilers. He also clearly drives the play from the defensive zone to the offensive zone. In fact, his numbers are the best on the team on that front. Out of all defensemen and all forwards. All stats 5on5.

But he scores many points, so I guess he must be a disaster defensively.


"Seems to be" yes, if we ignore statistics. Carlson's 5on5 CA/60 is 68.94 while Bouchard's is 48.06. Bouchard xGA/60 2.32, Carlson 3.28. HDCA/60 Bouchard 10.0, Carlson 16.17.

Carlson one of the worst on his team in shot suppression, Bouchard one of the best on his team.

But hey. Because Stuart Skinner is at .873, I guess that's Bouchard's fault.


Sorry but he's not a superhuman who can mind control his goaltender to make a save.

Bouchard isn’t on PK, has the second most minutes on PP of all Oilers and has 5% more OZS than the next defender on Oilers.

Despite this he allows the second most shots against and the most goals against of all Edmonton defenders. Yeah, Skinner being awful doesn’t help but there is no way you can think he isn’t a defensive liability.

 

[ClydeLee]

Go back in time and draft Dobson instead who I wanted then.

 

[Some Other Flame]

They need to sign him to a longterm extension asap