Pass the Saitl Sauce
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- Apr 30, 2015
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We could call him genie Bouchard cause his shots from the point make my wishes come true
When will Bouchard be considered elite?
- Thread starter Tillain
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He still has things to improve on, but again this is still like his only 3rd full season in the league, there's very few D-Men in the league that were putting up these numbers and having playoff rounds like the one Bouchard just had in just their 3rd full year in the league.
I think at this point it is safe to say he is an All-Star caliber D for sure, he should have been on the All-Star team really just based on the regular season production but we know the dumb "every team gets a all-star rep" participation trophy means a lot of actual All-Stars don't make the team.
If he keeps trending like this I would say he's going to start to get serious consideration for Team Canada. He is definitely one of the league's rising young stars on D.
As for comparables, I think the Brent Burns comparable is actually not a bad one. A lot of teams would kill to have a 24 year old Brent Burns.
I think at this point it is safe to say he is an All-Star caliber D for sure, he should have been on the All-Star team really just based on the regular season production but we know the dumb "every team gets a all-star rep" participation trophy means a lot of actual All-Stars don't make the team.
If he keeps trending like this I would say he's going to start to get serious consideration for Team Canada. He is definitely one of the league's rising young stars on D.
As for comparables, I think the Brent Burns comparable is actually not a bad one. A lot of teams would kill to have a 24 year old Brent Burns.
I have full faith in McDavid/Drai to create 2-3 goals a game, if Skinner can play at a high level they have a chance. If he can just give the Oilers .910 goaltending, I think they win the series, I just don't have a lot of optimism in Skinner pulling that off but if he is able to, the Oilers go all the way.
The emergence of Bouchard + addition of Ekholm has been amazing for that team, if they can just get goaltending they have more than enough firepower to outscore anybody in the league.
Skinner is the X factor and the most important player of the series. His play will directly dictate who wins/loses this series.
Buck Naked
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Did you know that over the last two seasons, Makar is averaging 3.15 5v5 GA/60 without Toews on the ice?
Erik Karlsson, last year when he won the Norris and was called the worst defensive player in the world because of his high GA, had a 5v5 GA/60 of 3.45. Then account for teammates and goalies and I think they're pretty similar.
Would you say that Makar is being babysat on defense by Toews, or does that only apply to Bouchard? And just for reference. Evan Bouchard without Ekholm over the same two-year span. 3.05 5v5 GA/60.
HockeyVirus
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Bottom line is if this guy is a budding star, and it certainly appears that way, there's not that many teams that have a 24 year old D-Man doing the things he is.
It's nothing but a good thing for the Oilers because it signals to McDavid and Draisaitl that there are other reasons to stay around besides just each other.
There's not many teams that can offer McDavid a player like Draisaitl to play with (and obviously vice versa) AND also have a young D that's breaking out like Bouchard too, and then you throw in the advantage with 8 year contract term that only they can offer, the fact that now they are in the Conference Finals 2/3 seasons (not many teams can claim that), you have Hyman on a great deal, etc. ... it improves their bargaining position in keeping the big 2 around.
It's nothing but a good thing for the Oilers because it signals to McDavid and Draisaitl that there are other reasons to stay around besides just each other.
There's not many teams that can offer McDavid a player like Draisaitl to play with (and obviously vice versa) AND also have a young D that's breaking out like Bouchard too, and then you throw in the advantage with 8 year contract term that only they can offer, the fact that now they are in the Conference Finals 2/3 seasons (not many teams can claim that), you have Hyman on a great deal, etc. ... it improves their bargaining position in keeping the big 2 around.
Frosty415
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hirawl
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EdmFlyersfan
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OilersFanatics505
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I was shit on two years ago for saying they needed to play Bouchard on the PP over Barrie in their cup run against the Avs. He has a wicked shot from the point.
TheNumber4
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The thing with Bouchard too is that he’s had a PERFECT development path set forth by the Oilers.
Coming out of Junior; the knocks on his game was a lack of compete, intensity, physicality, and iffy defence.
Oilers brought him up nice and slowly. Tyson Barrie was brought in to QB the PP so that Bouch could focus on his defence and his 5v5 game. Duncan Kieth was brought in to show Bouchard what championship level commitment and effort looked like from an HOF defenceman. Then you bring in Ekholm to further help on the defensive end and create perfect synergy. Then you bring on one of the best defenceman all time in Paul Coffey to further mentor him.
When it was finally time and Bouch had developed enough of his weaknesses, the Oilers finally unleashed his full potential offensively giving him the PP and number 1 D minutes. And with McDrai feeding him there’s no better way to achieve that potential.
Coming out of Junior; the knocks on his game was a lack of compete, intensity, physicality, and iffy defence.
Oilers brought him up nice and slowly. Tyson Barrie was brought in to QB the PP so that Bouch could focus on his defence and his 5v5 game. Duncan Kieth was brought in to show Bouchard what championship level commitment and effort looked like from an HOF defenceman. Then you bring in Ekholm to further help on the defensive end and create perfect synergy. Then you bring on one of the best defenceman all time in Paul Coffey to further mentor him.
When it was finally time and Bouch had developed enough of his weaknesses, the Oilers finally unleashed his full potential offensively giving him the PP and number 1 D minutes. And with McDrai feeding him there’s no better way to achieve that potential.
He is not a top 5 d-man I wouldn't even consider him top 10
Czechboy
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If I'm reading this right though... he has to beat Dallas singlehandedly to get respect.lol
Makar didn't beat Dallas
Pietrangelo and Theordore didn't beat Dallas
Hughes couldn't even get to Dallas
Josi is playing Finland as I type this in Prague
But Bouch has to beat Dallas.
Buck Naked
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This whole thread is filled with double standards, and when you point them out and counter with facts people myseriously disappear and refuse to answer.
Fishy McScales
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Czechboy
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My new Fav is small sample size when you point out the entire playoffs and 2 rounds.. or his previous 2 playoffs.lol Like, is 3 playoffs not enough proof?lol
TheNumber4
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Leafs fans sure are obsessed with Bouchard. But I can’t blame them, if Bouchard was a Leaf he’d be the greatest defenceman in Leaf’s history.
Czechboy
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Bobby Orr, Paul Coffey, Raymond Bourque, Cale Makar, Peak Karlsson for Ottawa, Lidstrom, Brian Leetch, Phil Housley, Sergei Zubov, Doug Harvey and Viktor Hedman.
Bouch absolutely sucks.lmao
Czechboy
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Fox
McCaoy
Slavin
Hughes
Josi
Dahlin
Heiskanen
Hedman
Morrissey
And the reason I would rate all of these people above Bouchard is sustained elite play over multiple seasons.
I could probably add more d-man to my list I'd take over him, but playing with McDavid and Drai will inflate his numbers ala Hyman and Hopkins.
I'm not saying he's a bad player, and I'm not saying he won't eventually be a top 10 d-man but it takes more than one season for me to put a play as a top ten talent which he is clearly not.
North Cole
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"One series? That's Small sample size, let's see how he does in a different series."
Has to be satire.
TheNumber4
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How could I forget. Morgan Reilly can never live up to that.
Nasti
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Yes, as in, let’s at least increase the sample size before we declare him Paul Coffey.
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