<p>The leader of the <a href="https://oilersnation.com/combinations">Edmonton Oilers</a> knows how important one of the team&#8217;s young blueliners is.</p>
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<p>When speaking to the media during the team&#8217;s end-of-season media availability on Thursday, Oilers captain Connor McDavid was asked about defenceman Evan Bouchard, <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/next-contract-edmonton-oilers-evan-bouchard-at-least-10-million-per-year">a pending restricted free agent</a>.</p>
<p>McDavid stated that re-signing Bouchard should be a high priority on the <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/whats-next-for-the-edmonton-oilers-a-look-ahead-at-the-2025-off-season">team&#8217;s list this summer</a>.</p>
<p>&#8220;He&#8217;s incredibly important to the group,&#8221; McDavid said. &#8220;Definitely a deal that needs to get done, and one that&#8217;s very important for us.&#8221;</p>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">McDavid on Bouchard “definitely a deal that needs to get done” to ⁦<a href="https://twitter.com/DerekVanDiest?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DerekVanDiest</a>⁩ <a href="https://t.co/tL43YBupOb">pic.twitter.com/tL43YBupOb</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Ryan Rishaug (@TSNRyanRishaug) <a href="https://twitter.com/TSNRyanRishaug/status/1935756585223237652?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 19, 2025</a></p></blockquote>
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<p>McDavid also highlighted how Bouchard&#8217;s game has improved from being more than just a big shot on the power play to becoming an all-around blueliner.</p>
<p>&#8220;Every time there&#8217;s a big game or a big moment, he shows up. That&#8217;s a skill that not everybody has. Does he make some boo-boos in November? Sure. We all do. I think his game has just been improving year after year. &#8230; I think he took big strides this year, defencively.&#8221;</p>
<p>Bouchard is set to become an RFA on July 1, with arbitration rights. He just finished up the two-year bridge deal that he signed in 2023, carrying a cap hit of $3.9 million.</p>
<p>The 25-year-old told the media that there hasn&#8217;t been much conversation between his camp and the team during the <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/better-lait-than-never-edmonton-oilers-demolished-stanley-cup-final">grind of the Stanley Cup Playoffs</a>, as he wanted to keep his focus on the task of trying to win a championship.</p>
<p class="mb-4 text-lg">“We tried to not talk about it come playoff time,” Bouchard said. “I love being here, I want to be here. Let’s see where talks go.”</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">&quot;We tried to not talk about it come playoff time. I love being here, I want to be here. Let&#39;s see where talks go.&quot; -Evan Bouchard on his upcoming contract negotiation</p>
<p>&mdash; Oilersnation.com, Oily Since ‘07 (@OilersNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/OilersNation/status/1935740208403956144?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 19, 2025</a></p></blockquote>
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<p>This past postseason, the Oakville, Ontario native scored seven goals and 16 assists for 23 points in 22 games, as the Oilers made it back to the Stanley Cup Final for the second year in a row, <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/edmonton-oilers-fans-react-losing-another-stanley-cup-final">only to lose to the Florida Panthers</a> once again, this time in six games.</p>
<p class="mb-4 text-lg">Bouchard admitted that, while losing in the final in consecutive years hurts, it’s only going to make winning the franchise&#8217;s first Cup since 1990 that much more memorable.</p>
<p class="mb-4 text-lg">“Getting to the end two years in a row now and not getting the job done is going to make it even sweeter when we do get it done,” <a class="text-secondary underline underline-offset-2" href="https://x.com/OilersNation/status/1935740846982549939" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" hreflang="en">Bouchard said</a>. “The team, the coaching staff, everybody around, the fans … Makes me want to bring a Cup back to Edmonton. You want to reward the fans for all of the times they come out to support us.”</p>
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<p class="mb-4 text-lg">In his time with the Oilers, Bouchard has played in 347 games during the regular season, notching 55 goals and 183 assists for 238 points, with a career plus/minus of +57. In 75 playoff games, he’s scored 81 points.</p>
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<p><a class="text-secondary underline underline-offset-2" href="https://capwages.com/teams/edmonton_oilers" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" hreflang="en">According to PuckPedia</a>, Edmonton has $11.962-million in cap space next year.</p>
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The leader of the <a href="https://oilersnation.com/combinations">Edmonton Oilers</a> knows how important one of the team's young blueliners is.



When speaking to the media during the team's end-of-season media availability on Thursday, Oilers captain Connor McDavid was asked about defenceman Evan Bouchard, <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/next-contract-edmonton-oilers-evan-bouchard-at-least-10-million-per-year">a pending restricted free agent</a>.

McDavid stated that re-signing Bouchard should be a high priority on the <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/whats-next-for-the-edmonton-oilers-a-look-ahead-at-the-2025-off-season">team's list this summer</a>.

"He's incredibly important to the group," McDavid said. "Definitely a deal that needs to get done, and one that's very important for us."
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https://twitter.com/tsnryanrishaug/status/1935756585223237652?s=46

McDavid also highlighted how Bouchard's game has improved from being more than just a big shot on the power play to becoming an all-around blueliner.

"Every time there's a big game or a big moment, he shows up. That's a skill that not everybody has. Does he make some boo-boos in November? Sure. We all do. I think his game has just been improving year after year. ... I think he took big strides this year, defencively."

Bouchard is set to become an RFA on July 1, with arbitration rights. He just finished up the two-year bridge deal that he signed in 2023, carrying a cap hit of $3.9 million.

The 25-year-old told the media that there hasn't been much conversation between his camp and the team during the <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/better-lait-than-never-edmonton-oilers-demolished-stanley-cup-final">grind of the Stanley Cup Playoffs</a>, as he wanted to keep his focus on the task of trying to win a championship.
<p class="mb-4 text-lg">“We tried to not talk about it come playoff time,” Bouchard said. “I love being here, I want to be here. Let’s see where talks go.”</p>
https://twitter.com/OilersNation/status/1935740208403956144

This past postseason, the Oakville, Ontario native scored seven goals and 16 assists for 23 points in 22 games, as the Oilers made it back to the Stanley Cup Final for the second year in a row, <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/edmonton-oilers-fans-react-losing-another-stanley-cup-final">only to lose to the Florida Panthers</a> once again, this time in six games.
<p class="mb-4 text-lg">Bouchard admitted that, while losing in the final in consecutive years hurts, it’s only going to make winning the franchise's first Cup since 1990 that much more memorable.</p>
<p class="mb-4 text-lg">“Getting to the end two years in a row now and not getting the job done is going to make it even sweeter when we do get it done,” <a class="text-secondary underline underline-offset-2" href="https://x.com/OilersNation/status/1935740846982549939" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" hreflang="en">Bouchard said</a>. “The team, the coaching staff, everybody around, the fans … Makes me want to bring a Cup back to Edmonton. You want to reward the fans for all of the times they come out to support us.”</p>

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<p class="mb-4 text-lg">In his time with the Oilers, Bouchard has played in 347 games during the regular season, notching 55 goals and 183 assists for 238 points, with a career plus/minus of +57. In 75 playoff games, he’s scored 81 points.</p>

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<a class="text-secondary underline underline-offset-2" href="https://capwages.com/teams/edmonton_oilers" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" hreflang="en">According to PuckPedia</a>, Edmonton has $11.962-million in cap space next year.

<hr />

<h2><strong>ARTICLE PRESENTED BY bet365</strong></h2>
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‘Definitely a deal that needs to get done’: Oilers’ Connor McDavid wants team to keep Evan Bouchard for long haul

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