Subscribe
Follow Us
The Edmonton Oilers are in the Western Conference Finals for the second straight season. A major part of this success is young defenseman Evan Bouchard. Bouchard has established himself as one of the best offensive defensemen in the NHL. And he has already found historic success in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Bouchard is a restricted free agent this summer. Given his performances, the young defender is looking at a substantial pay rise. And it's a pay rise that the Oilers may be hesitant to give out. Edmonton has to re-sign superstar forward Connor McDavid before the 2026 offseason. As a result, Bouchard is a name to watch for a potential offer sheet.
There are a number of teams that need an elite offensive presence in their lineup. And every team can use a bit of offense from the point. With this in mind, here are three teams that could offer sheet Oilers defenseman Evan Bouchard in NHL Free Agency this summer.
Blackhawks could offer sheet Oilers' Evan Bouchard
The Chicago Blackhawks have a new head coach in Jeff Blashill. Blashill spent several years behind the bench of the Detroit Red Wings. Now, he's tasked with taking the Connor Bedard-led Blackhawks to the next level. The front office could support this aim with a pursuit of Evan Bouchard.
Bouchard would join a high-potential blueline in the Windy City. The Oilers defenseman would partner up with the likes of Kevin Korchinski and Alex Vlasic to form an imposing blueline in Chicago. Korchinski and Vlasic would likely carry the defensive load in this potential trio. However, Bouchard makes up for his defensive lapses in the offensive zone.
Chicago needs another superstar alongside Bedard. Ideally, the Blackhawks would add Mitch Marner or another star forward. If they strike out on any forward targets, though, an offer sheet for Bouchard makes a ton of sense.
Hurricanes need an elite point producer
![[Imagn Images direct customers only] NHL commissioner Gary Bettman addresses the press beside NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly before a 4 Nations Face-Off ice hockey game at Bell Centre.](https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Bill-Daly-and-Gary-Bettman.jpg)
The Carolina Hurricanes are in the Eastern Conference Finals this year. Unfortunately, they are in a bit of a hole, down 2-0 to the Florida Panthers. They have lost 14 straight games in the East Finals and are dangerously close to four consecutive sweeps in the East Finals.
The Hurricanes need another superstar-level talent on the roster. Their trade for Mikko Rantanen did not work out as they intended. He was traded to the Dallas Stars after 13 games played. Carolina has struggled with postseason goal scoring in the last few seasons. Adding someone of Bouchard's caliber could be the answer to the woes.
The Hurricanes are positioned to make noise this offseason. They are another team to watch in the Marner sweepstakes, for instance. However, they are set to lose some defensemen this summer. Replacing them with someone like Bouchard would be huge for Carolina.
Sharks make sense as a landing spot
The San Jose Sharks are one of the league's up-and-coming teams. Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith have emerged as two of the best young centers in the game. And they have more young talent waiting in the wings. However, San Jose could use an injection of immediate impact talent.
The Sharks need an immediate impact defenseman more than anything. Their top pairing is solid with Marrio Ferraro and Timothy Liljegren. However, Bouchard gives the team another dimension they currently lack. He could give his team a massive immediate boost while the team waits for more of its high-potential young talent to make the NHL.
Bouchard going to San Jose may not give him the chance to win right away. He certainly wouldn't have the chance to win there like he would in Chicago and Carolina. However, he would help build one of the brightest young teams in the NHL. And he would likely receive a massive payday to do so.
