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The Edmonton Oilers are closing in on a two-year contract extension with star restricted free agent defenseman Evan Bouchard, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported on Wednesday.
“Sounds like EDM and Evan Bouchard closing in on 2x$3.9M,” Friedman wrote.
Paying Bouchard $7.8 million over the next two years is a huge win for the Oilers, after the 23-year-old had a breakout campaign in 2022-23 with eight goals and 40 points in a full 82-game slate.
Bouchard saw his role increase in the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs, and he was up to the task — the Oakville, Canada native scored an astounding 17 points in 12 games from the back end while averaging 23:00 of time on ice per game.
With Tyson Barrie traded to the Nashville Predators, Bouchard is becoming the go-to guy in Alberta after back-to-back 40-point seasons. He's now the quarterback on the most lethal powerplay in the National Hockey League, which scored at an incredible 32.4 percent clip last year.
Bouchard figures to only get better as he grows with the team, and getting him locked up for just under $4 million per season is an excellent piece of business from GM Ken Holland.
The No. 10 overall pick in the 2018 NHL Draft will reprise his role on the second pairing alongside Mattias Ekholm, which was a fantastic pair down the stretch for the Oilers after Ekholm came over from the Predators in the Barrie trade. Edmonton is now roughly $400K over the salary cap with a roster of 22 players, according to CapFriendly.
There is more work to be done, but keeping Evan Bouchard in Edmonton is a huge win for both player and club.