The Edmonton Oilers nearly made NHL history during the recently completed Stanley Cup Finals. After dropping the first three games of the series to the Florida Panthers, the Oilers rallied to win the next three games and force a decisive seventh game. They were led throughout the playoffs by superstar Connor McDavid and defenseman Evan Bouchard.
The Oilers were unable to seal the deal as the Panthers bounced back and won Game 7 to set off a huge celebration in South Florida. After going through the handshake line, the Oilers made the long flight home to Edmonton, thinking about what might have been.
Meanwhile the team has contracts to consider. While it would be nice to get the 24-year-old Bouchard signed to a long-term contract, there are other issues for the Oilers.
Bouchard signed a two-year bridge deal during the last offseason. He made $3.9 million in 2023-24 and he will make the same amount in the upcoming season. Bouchard will be a restricted free agent after next season, meaning the Oilers will still be in a position to retain his services.
As a result, working out a new deal for a young superstar who remains in their control is not an immediate priority for the Oilers.
The Oilers would like to get superstar Leon Draisaitl signed to a new contract this offseason. The 29-year-old is under contract for the upcoming season and will make $8.5 million with the Oilers. However, he will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the year if the player and the team don’t come to an agreement.
Draisaitl is clearly one of the best players in the league and the second-best player on the Oilers behind McDavid. He scored 41 goals and 65 assists last year with a plus-26 rating. He scored a career-best 128 points in 2022-23 and he has reached the 100-point mark in five of the last six seasons.
Oilers should not take Bouchard for granted
Bouchard appears to be one of the best offensive defensemen in the league. He has a booming shot from the point that is one of the keys to Edmonton’s at-times dominating power play.
Bouchard has been with the Oilers for the last five seasons, and he appears to be hitting the prime of his career.
He scored 18 goals during the regular season and he added 64 assists for an 82-point season. Eight of his goals came on the power play and seven of his tallies were game winners for the Oilers.
As good as his regular season was, his playoff performance was even better. He scored 6 goals and 26 assists for 32 points in 25 postseason games. He also was an NHL-best plus-14 during the postseason for the Oilers.
Bouchard’s 26 assists during the playoffs set an NHL record.
