One of the best things about the Internet is finding videos that fans put together relating to their/our favourite players. Thanks to the fine work of a YouTube user named SPR, we all get to spend five minutes watching highlights of Evan Bouchard doing his thing from this past season in Bakersfield.

From the moment Evan Bouchard was drafted with the 10th overall pick back in 2018, Oilers fans have been hopeful that he’ll be able to blossom into the puck-moving defenceman that this team has needed since (probably) Lubomir Visnovsky was around. While that may seem like a lot of pressure to add onto the 43 year old’s shoulders, the highlight package that SPR put together confirms, to me, that this guy has the offensive instincts we need to bolster the numbers from the back end. What will be interesting to watch, though, is how his game matures on the defensive side of the puck, which is unquestionably the most difficult and important aspect of his position. If he can combine his offensive touch with a strong base in his own end then the Oilers could have a hell of a player here that can contribute for a long time.

Until then, let’s watch Dad make some magic with the puck.

While we still have no idea when Evan Bouchard will make the full time leap from the Condors to the Oilers, there is no doubt that the dude has got some intriguing offensive skills in his toolkit. For me, one of the most noticeable parts of the highlight pack above was his poise with the puck, especially when walking it along the blueline for a better angle at the net. Not to mention, watching Bouchard drop bombs from the point makes me excited for whenever he gets added to an NHL powerplay that already has all kinds of offensive weapons up front. If the Oilers can slow play Bouchard into an NHL job, leaving him on the third pairing for a bit while also offering up a carrot on the power play, I truly believe we have the opportunity to add an element to this team that we haven’t seen for a long, long time.

Even though I know I’m getting ahead of myself here, I also feel bullish on Bouchard and believe in his abilities. With Ken Holland at the helm, we know that the team will no longer be rushing their prospects into the show before they’re ready and that makes me feel like Bouchard will have the time needed to polish his game before he makes the jump to prime time. Either way, I thought this compilation video was a lot of fun and I wanted to share it so that everyone could spend a few minutes marvelling at dad’s fine season with the Bakersfield Condors. Evan Bouchard, we speak your name.