NHL Rumors: Expect Evan Bouchard to Stay with the Edmonton Oilers

Edmonton Will Find a Way to Keep Evan Bouchard

With Leon Draisaitl out of the way and Connor McDavid almost locked to stay in Edmonton, the next order of business is for the Edmonton Oilers to lock up defenseman Evan Bouchard.

NHL Rumors: Who Will Handle Extension Talks With Draisaitl, McDavid and Bouchard?

Bouchard is entering the final year of his two-year deal, which has a salary cap hit of $3.9 million. You can expect Bouchard to get a pay raise. There is a reason why the Edmonton Oilers did not match the offer sheets given to Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway by the St. Louis Blues.

Elliotte Friedman told Evanka Osmak on Sportsnet’s Sports Central that the Leon Draisaitl deal will not affect Evan Bouchard’s potential extension this year. Friedman explained that he did not think so because the Oilers are forward thinkers regarding the salary cap.

NHLRumors.com Transcription

Are the Edmonton Oilers a Better Team This Season?

Evanka Osmak: “Well, Stan Bowman still has some business to do. Evan Bouchard is one year remaining on his bridge deal. How does this impact the Oiler’s chances of signing him to a long-term deal?”

Elliotte Friedman: “Well, if you take a look at the Oilers this summer. They are forward thinkers. They’re long-term planners, and they didn’t match the offer sheets because they felt that would prevent them from adding players in season, looking at whatever weaknesses they may have and saying, we’re going to address that, and we’re going to target that.

NHL Rumors: What Impact Will Leon Draisaitl’s and Seth Jarvis’ Contracts Have on Future Contracts?

I don’t think they did anything here with Draisaitl and even McDavid without saying, Okay, this is what the picture is going to look like, and this is what we’re going to need to do. They knew going in that there was a chance that it could be $40 million for these, these three players. So I think they will build their cap and their situation around there again.

I think Bouchard is going to want to stay because they have a chance to win, and he knows he looks great on that power play, and they’ll have to find the sweet spot. But when I think teams are in a position to win, players want to find ways to play there, and I think that’s why this will all work out in the long term.”