Another out-of-this-world playoff run from Evan Bouchard has come at a perfect time for the defenceman.
Set to be a restricted free agent this summer and in line for a big raise from the two-year, $3.9-million AAV deal he’s played out this season, the Edmonton Oilers blue liner has gone crazy for the second straight playoffs. He’s now racked up six goals and 17 points in 15 playoff games for the Oilers this spring, with his goal total tying the same number of goals he scored last year.
Those numbers have boosted his playoff career totals to 19 goals and 75 points in 68 games — a 1.1 points per game pace that ranks second all-time among defencemen in the playoffs with as many games played, behind only the great Bobby Orr.
And in the eyes of Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli, who talked about what Bouchard’s next deal could look like Tuesday on Daily Faceoff LIVE, his next deal will surpass an annual value of $10-million.
Yaremchuk: Obviously he doesn’t have his steadying partner Mattias Ekholm, and it hasn’t phased him. He’s looked more and more like a true, No. 1 defenceman as these playoffs have gone on. The idea of him being a $10-million AAV this summer — is that hot or cold? Hot being yes, it’s probably going to happen, and cold being it’s a bridge too far.
Seravalli: It’s hot. I have to think that, with yet another repeat playoff performance — (his) third consecutive postseason of at least 17 points, he’s (scored) 75 points in 67 career postseason games, which is an incredible pace. That’s a 93-point pace over an 82-game regular season.
And beyond that, he’s put himself in some incredible company now, 33rd all-time in postseason points by a defenceman. He is closing in on or just passed Rob Blake, who has played double the number of postseason games — and by the way, Rob Blake is in the Hockey Hall of Fame.
I think the Oilers were hopeful at one point this season that they might have been able to squeeze him in at $8.5-million, but I think these playoffs have probably exploded that pipe dream.
Games 1 and 2 against the L.A. Kings were disastrous for he and the Oilers from a defensive perspective, seeing him on the ice for five goals against. While he followed it up with a two goal performance in Game 3, helping tilt that series in Edmonton’s favour, his defensive game has significantly improved after a rocky start.
While his goal against per hour rate of 2.96 at five-on-five still isn’t great — more on that later — he leads all Oilers defencemen in terms of shot attempts against per hour, expected goals against per hour, scoring chances against per hour, and in high-danger scoring chances against per hour. And that’s even accounting for those two poor games against the Kings.
Seravalli’s estimation is in line with contract projections from Evolving-Hockey, who project Bouchard to sign an eight-year deal carrying a $10.61-million cap hit.
Zach Laing is Oilersnation’s associate editor, senior columnist, and The Nation Network’s news director. He also makes up one-half of the DFO DFS Report. He can be followed on Twitter, currently known as X, at @zjlaing, or reached by email at zach.laing@bettercollective.com.

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