Is Oilers' Evan Bouchard worth $10.5 million per season? He thinks so
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Evan Bouchard will be a big part of the plans for the two-time reigning Western Conference champions as they look to get over the Stanley Cup hump that's seen them fall short twice in a row to the Florida Panthers in the battle of the last two teams standing.
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The offensively gifted defenceman signed a four-year deal worth $42 million Monday evening, earning a raise of $6.6 million per year on the $3.9 million he had been making, after earning 67 points (14 goals, 53 assists), while averaging a team-high 23:28 of ice time in the regular season. He followed up by turning it on once again in the playoffs with 23 points (seven goals and 16 points) in 22 games to lead all defencemen in post-season scoring for the second year in a row.
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But as he sat down to field questions from the media Tuesday morning, his mind wasn't on last year, or what will happen after his new contract ends after 2028-29, but the season right in front of him.
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Especially with the way unfinished business has felt like it's been piling up over the past two off-seasons.
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'Definitely, that's the goal for myself and the organization and everybody else in the locker-room is to win the Stanley Cup,' Bouchard said. 'A lot of teams say that, but I really do think the Oilers and myself, we have the pieces to do that.
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'We've shown that in the last couple of years, we're just a fraction off and we just have to figure that out. We have the opportunity to get it done.'
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As the Oilers have progressed, so too has Bouchard's own game, which he continues to work on developing into as much a two-way style as possible. Though admittedly, the defensive side has plenty of catching up to do before it can come close to the same level as his patented Bouch Bomb shot from the blue line.
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'I think, definitely, that's a big thing,' Bouchard said. 'I think over the past season or two, I've really focused on the defensive side of things, especially later on in the season. Come playoff time, that's the most important thing, is to keep the puck out of the net. So, I think my game is going to keep getting better, keep growing on both sides.
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'For next season, the big thing for me is consistency. The highs can be high, but the games where you're not feeling it so much, not having to be very low. So, I think consistency is going to be a big thing for me next season.'
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