The Edmonton Oilers recently re-signed pending restricted free agent (RFA) defenseman Evan Bouchard to a two-year extension worth $3.9 million a season. He is coming off a strong campaign in which he took over as the power play quarterback on the team’s first unit after Tyson Barrie was traded to the Nashville Predators near the deadline. While he’s likely to grow into a solid defenseman who will be an offensive threat for many years to come, there are issues with signing him to a short-term bridge contract that the Oilers will have to deal with at the end of the 2024-25 season.
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Bouchard is expected to break out in the 2023-24 season after earning a career-high in assists in 2022-23 and hitting just under a half-point per game average with 40 points through 82 games. He took over on the first power-play unit and only improved as time went on. His offensive abilities were evident every time he stepped on the ice, as he was able to drive the play and create opportunities for his teammates. One thing many fans have issues with, though, is his lacklustre defensive play.
Bouchard turns 24 in October, putting him at the prime age to establish himself as a top defenseman in the league. This deal is actually a good price for Bouchard over the next two seasons and one many fans, including myself, are very happy with. Unfortunately, if Bouchard continues to develop and strengthen his game as he has done, he will be set for a massive extension, similar to Darnell Nurse.
Bouchard’s Career
Bouchard was drafted by the Oilers in the first round of the 2018 NHL Entry Draft, eighth overall, after a really strong season in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) with the London Knights. Over four full seasons, Bouchard scored 54 goals and 201 points through 223 games, for a 0.90 points-per-game average. He established himself as an offensive-minded defenseman and transitioned well to the professional level.
In 2020-21, Bouchard spent time on loan in the HockeyAllSvenskan league in Sweden with Södertälje SK where he scored six goals and 17 points through 23 games. Since then, he’s been an Oiler. In 184 games with the Oil, he has scored 23 goals and 89 points for a 0.48 points-per-game average.
The Issue With Bourchard’s Bridge Deal
Bourchard’s offensive game is special, and his point totals have shown that. He will likely hit the 55-60 point mark this season and slowly work his way into becoming a top-pairing defenseman. However, his defensive game has not been top-tier throughout the beginning of his NHL career.
Which means, that Bouchard will be able to get better. That sounds positive, and it is for the short-term vision of the Oilers, but when he’s up for a new contract, he will likely demand the same price tag Nurse’s massive eight-year extension, which was $9.25 million a season. I don’t think he’ll get quite that, but given how hard it is to acquire solid defensemen, the Oilers may have to overpay to keep his services past 2025.
While there’s no guarantee Bouchard will be able to maintain his constant progression and become a superstar, he is certainly banking on it. A bridge deal is exactly what the Oilers needed right now, but it will be more beneficial to Bouchard long-term. If the Oilers aren’t able to find the money in 2025 and want to keep him around, they may be forced to make another trade, as well as overpay to keep him around.
For the next little while, fans can breathe easier knowing Bouchard is staying around for a little longer and will likely be a huge part of the team that is poised for a Stanley Cup run for the next couple of seasons. At some point, though, this bridge will have to be crossed, and tough decisions will have to be made.
