When will Bouchard be considered elite?

[Nasti]

Ah the site i was checking didn't load properly.

Yes, he f***ed up on that goal, he doesn't usually PK but had to because Nurse is both crippled and stupid.

He's also been on the ice for 26 scoring chances for and 13 against at 5v5. The good massively outweighs the bad, and if you don't think so, you should be painting instead of watching hockey, because you don't understand what you're watching.

You’re suffering from Smartest Guy in the Room Syndrome. The entire hockey community has criticized Bouchard for his defensive mistakes this series and yet you know better apparently. The irony is that you keep pointing to arbitrary numbers as your evidence and then say that I don’t understand what I’m watching. Are YOU even watching the games?

 

[BB88]

He's playing 30 minutes a night because Nurse has been unplayable, so yeah, if he's on half of every game, that checks out.

including empty net goals is dumb. He hasn't been on for any PP goals against. He's been on for 1 4v4 goal for, 1 4v4 goal against. and getting the benefits of a sub 800 on ice SV%.

When did Lundell walk him by before his pass to Rod? That was junior level defense

He was on the ice for that abysmal Rod goal as well as he assisted it, he was on the ice when Barkov schooled him

 

[DFAC]

Yes he’s elite. Oilers should sign him to a big 11m+ contract

 

[ChaoticOrange]

If you're as much of a defensive liability as Bouchard, it doesn't matter what you do offensively; you're hurting the team. It also makes it harder to hold the other defencemen accountable when you let this pylon play so poorly in his own zone that a decent ECHL coach would put him in the press box where he belongs. You don't want a culture where playing like trash in your own zone is acceptable.

Weird, he made Quinn Hughes look like the ECHLer in Edmonton’s series win over Van

 

[Dead Coyote]

He has been elite this season, but he's definitely not elite defensively like some people in this thread have said. He reminds me a lot of a better defensive version of EK65 or Keith Yandle when he was at his peak. He's a great playdriver, elite offensively, and his offense more than outweighs his defense, but he'll occasionally make some pretty bad defensive plays/reads that lead to a chance or goal and have everyone groan about him. It's a lot more evident in the SCF, but I've seen him make plenty of those plays in other series and the regular season too.

Which is fine. He's also had periods of time where he has generally played super solid without any real mistakes like that and he's only 24, if he continues to grow and cut down on those mistakes he'll be a solid top 5 d-man in the league. I'm sure there will be fans who say he already is, but I just don't see him above Makar, Hughes, Fox, Josi and Hedman. He may have a peak higher than some of those guys and if somehow the Oilers manage to win the cup that probably makes it more debatable but I just don't see 2 playoffs + 82 games being a large enough sample size.

I'm looking forward to him doing the same thing next year and really cementing himself in the conversation though. It's honestly a shame that he wasn't a Norris finalist, especially considering this bonkers playoffs from him. If Edmonton wins I hope he gets the Smythe, none of the team has been particularly good this final so far but he's a huge contributor to their offense and IMO was way better than Draisatl in previous series, if Edmonton wins it'll probably be McDavid's because it's McDavid, but Bouchard has overall been better I think.

 

[BB88]

“He ain’t no good I seent him make bad plays wit my eyes” takes should have been left in the 60’s

Unreal

He straight up gave Florida their 2-1 and 3-1 goals in game 2 and was a major reason Edmonton lost

But noooooo!!!!!!! Let’s rather see adv stats than what happens on the ice

On game 3 he got taken to school again, you can go check highlights rather than your adv stats.

Florida is beating Edmonton and it’s been men against boys but adv stats will probably award the Stanley Cup to Edmonton, hurray

Edmonton Oilers 2023-24 adv stats Champs, what a banner that’s going to make.
Denial is a real thing and strong coping mechanism

 

[EdmFlyersfan]

Bouchard reminds me of Mike Green when he first appeared (70+ points)... later he was a nobody and his weak defensive play caught up to him as his point totals dropped.

 

[Craft Beer Lover]

Weird, he made Quinn Hughes look like the ECHLer in Edmonton’s series win over Van

Hughes was hurt in that series, but I suppose that doesn’t matter to you. Wake me when Bouchard is the favorite to win the Norris Trophy like Hughes will do in a week or so.

 

[Sasha Orlov]

Bouchard reminds me of Mike Green when he first appeared (70+ points)... later he was a nobody and his weak defensive play caught up to him as his point totals dropped.

Karlsson seemed to get by just fine being the worst defensive player ever, I know Bouchard isn’t Karlsson but he’s also only 24 and has clearly found his stride

Hard to say at this point he isn’t a top guy, a bad stretch in the Finals doesn’t really erase the rest of his stellar year

 

[Three On Zero]

Karlsson seemed to get by just fine being the worst defensive player ever, I know Bouchard isn’t Karlsson but he’s also only 24 and has clearly found his stride

Hard to say at this point he isn’t a top guy, a bad stretch in the Finals doesn’t really erase the rest of his stellar year

Pretty easy to say he isn’t a top guy until he can show consistency. Had a good run but he’s getting heavily exposed against Florida, which version will show up going forward?

 

[Sasha Orlov]

Pretty easy to say he isn’t a top guy until he can show consistency. Had a good run but he’s getting heavily exposed against Florida, which version will show up going forward?

He just had a ppg season, is tied for 2nd in playoff scoring and is over a ppg in his playoff career so “a good run” is a bit disingenuous. He has sucked shit in this series though for real lmao.

Definitely fair to say he has to do it for another year though, but he’s been a top guy for the last 9 months undoubtedly

 

[Hodgy]

Ah the site i was checking didn't load properly.

Yes, he f***ed up on that goal, he doesn't usually PK but had to because Nurse is both crippled and stupid.

He's also been on the ice for 26 scoring chances for and 13 against at 5v5. The good massively outweighs the bad, and if you don't think so, you should be painting instead of watching hockey, because you don't understand what you're watching.

How do you think those scoring chances would look if he wasn't on the ice with McDavid/Hyman/and/or McDraisaitl for most of the time on the ice? Like, its pretty clear to anyone watching, that Bouchard isn't driving the play on the ice, he's more of a passenger. And that isn't to say he's a bad player or anything, but if he wasn't on the Oilers and was like on the Kraken, this isn't a guy anyone would talk about.

 

[Three On Zero]

How do you think those scoring chances would look if he wasn't on the ice with McDavid/Hyman/and/or McDraisaitl for most of the time on the ice? Like, its pretty clear to anyone watching, that Bouchard isn't driving the play on the ice, he's more of a passenger. And that isn't to say he's a bad player or anything, but if he wasn't on the Oilers and was like on the Kraken, this isn't a guy anyone would talk about.

100% this

 

[MikeK]

Dude would be lucky to be a top 4 on any other team. Elite? get real.

 

[Three On Zero]

Dude would be lucky to be a top 4 on any other team. Elite? get real.

Modern Tyson Barrie

 

[eviohh26]

Dude would be lucky to be a top 4 on any other team. Elite? get real.

He would be a top 4 on any team. He has flaws for sure. He may be able to fix them. They are more IQ and compete level flaws. Q . Hughes had flaws but they were more translating his game to the NHL. If Hughes can fix his flaws then so can Bouchard. Bouchard as it is at the moment can be a big liability in his own zone. Can't deny his offensive ability though. It may be inflated by a good pp and playing with McDavid and Drai but he does have skill and a big shot.

 

[Filthy Dangles]

Deranged ass thread…

He’s struggled in the cup, what Oiler hasn’t?

‘Barely a 3rd pairing guy’, lol

 

[pigpen65]

The most memorable play of his career is going to be a set up on another team's goal. Woof

 

[BondraTime]

He’s a good offensive D who has been put in the best situation to put up points for his position in the past 30/40 years.

If he was on any other team he’s looking at a 5 million dollar contract instead of a 9+ million dollar one.

 

[57special]

I'm sure that EDM can't wait to make him their highest paid Dman.

 

[Leonardo87]

I think this thread has reached its end. Too much banter going back and forth.