Oilers’ Evan Bouchard Stacks Up Very Well to 2018 Draft Class

Defencemen typically take longer to develop and reach the prime of their careers, and the Oilers felt they kept Bouchard out of a full-time role in the NHL for the right amount of time. He has now played two full seasons in the NHL and a total of 184 regular-season games. As the Oilers are a strong contender each season, he has also amassed 28 playoff games. The Oilers know they have a good one in Bouchard, but when compared to the rest of the draft class, let’s find out just how he stacks up.

Bouchard’s Production & Contribution

As already noted, Bouchard has played 184 NHL games, but that ranks 14th in the 2018 Draft class. Five defencemen drafted that year have played more games, but seeing as a few of them were on worse teams than Edmonton, it makes perfect sense. The Oilers got as much or more than they were hoping for with Bouchard, as he ranks ninth in points among players drafted that year. Considering he’s a defenceman and where he sits in games played, that’s impressive.

Bouchard might’ve been at a disadvantage in terms of playing in the NHL in a full-time role sooner, as some draftees have 350 games played, and there were players like Cody Ceci, Adam Larsson, and Tyson Barrie in his way. While Bouchard was moved up and down the right side of the defensive unit the last two seasons, it wasn’t until after the trade deadline that he was given the best shot of his young career.

Playoffs aren’t always easy for every player, and some definitely don’t live up to expectations. Not Bouchard, as he has had two very good playoff performances and leads the draft class in playoff points with 26. In his first appearance in 2022, he scored three goals and nine points in 16 games. While that was impressive, alongside Mattias Ekholm in 2023, he played five more minutes per game and put up four goals and 17 points in 12 games. Although it helps to be on the best power play in league history, he elevates the unit to even greater heights and elevated his play immensely.

Contracts & Breakout Seasons

Many thought that Bouchard’s breakout season was in 2021-22 when he led the Oilers’ defencemen in points with 43. While his numbers dropped early on in 2022-23 due to bad luck and utilization, Ken Holland made the perfect move to put Bouchard’s true potential on display. Once Barrie was traded, Bouchard got full-time top power-play minutes and took advantage. But not only that, he was then made a permanent top-four defenceman alongside Ekholm, who greatly helped him.

Bouchard is a unique case among a draft that has a ton of defensive talent. He’s turning himself into an elite offensive defenceman and is quickly learning how to defend at a high level as well. He’s physical and will block a good deal of shots, but what stands out is the amount of takeaways he has as someone who specializes more on the offensive side of the puck. Comparing him to someone like K’Andre Miller, whose a top-four defensively-focused d-man, Bouchard topped him in takeaways with 2:30 less ice time per game (from “Evan Bouchard contract logjam hangs over Oilers’ summer. Might recent signings of Byram, Miller set the scale?”, Edmonton Journal, July 12, 2023).

Bouchard is without a contract yet for next season, and there are some very close comparable contracts in this draft to make things a bit easier for the Oilers. Quinn Hughes and Rasmus Dahlin are on a different level at the moment than Bouchard, having played more games and are relied on more heavily at both ends of the ice, but Miller and Noah Dobson come close to Bouchard. While those two signed for right around $3.9 million AAV on a bridge deal, defencemen like Sean Durzi, Adam Boqvist, and Rasmus Sandin have to also be taken into consideration. Other than Durzi, they were also taken fairly high in the 2018 Draft but got their pro careers started sooner and required bridge deals, getting less money per season. I think it’s a matter of nailing down the little details for Bouchard and signing him to a deal very similar to Miller and Dobson.

Where Bouchard Sits in a Redraft

Bouchard showed he was something very special in the second half of last season, including the playoffs, meaning he could very well be in store for a massive year where he’s at or close to a point per game. If that’s the case and his post-trade deadline numbers is what is to be expected of the young Oilers’ defenceman, then you can place him as the third-best defenceman drafted at this time. Then when it comes to forwards, only Brady Tkachuk and Evgeny Svechnikov should be considered above Bouchard right now, so the Oilers got themselves a good one who should have been taken higher if we’re judging this early. There are lots more to come, but Bouchard is set to be bridged, perform at an elite level all season, and really help push the Oilers forward this season.