Entering the season, there was a spotlight on Edmonton Oilers defenceman Evan Bouchard. Many people expected Bouchard to take the next step in his development.
However, with Tyson Barrie there, Bouchard did not have a prominent role in the Oilers dangerous power play. But that all changed when Barrie was traded to the Nashville Predators for Mattias Ekholm.
With Barrie no longer on the first power play unit, it was Bouchard’s time to shine. And shine he did as his role with the Oilers increased.
The restricted free agent finished the regular season with 19 points in 19 games and that production continued into the playoffs.
In the first-round series against the Los Angeles Kings, Bouchard recorded 10 points (two goals and eight assists) in six games. Of the 10 points, eight of them came on the power play including both of his goals.
Both Matt Larkin and Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff as written on NHLRumors.com think a bridge deal is coming for the Oilers defenceman. Bouchard could settle in the $5 million AAV price range on a bridge as the Oilers do not have much salary cap space next year.
However, if the Oilers continue to make a deep playoff run and Bouchard’s production continues to rise with his play only getting better that means his value only rises.
So a long-term deal might be out of the question. A bridge deal probably makes the most sense. If Evan Bouchard bets on himself in the short term, he is in for a nice pay raise in the future.
The Oilers expect him to be a prominent player for this team for years to come. So figuring out his next contract will take some work as his play and production only gets better and better.