The Edmonton Oilers have begun to bounce back from their slow start and have improved to a 9-7-1 record with their recent 3-2 victory over the struggling Nashville Predators. As they aim to make it back to the playoffs and hopefully win their sixth Stanley Cup in franchise history after just missing the mark last season, they have some problems they need to solve before they can be considered contenders again.
Luckily, it seems as though the team has found a way to begin improving their penalty kill as well as gain momentum on the man advantage. They still have questionable defensive depth that could hurt them down the line, as well as a potential issue with their goaltending depth if Stuart Skinner can’t find a way to elevate his game and establish himself as a starting goaltender over Calvin Pickard.
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One thing the Oilers will need to figure out at some point is the pending contract extension of defender Evan Bouchard who has taken a slight step back at both ends of the ice this season but has kept his game at an elite level. While some fans have questioned whether or not giving him a massive pay raise could be justified after his slow start and his lack of defensive consistency, there has been a recent report suggesting that he will still receive around $10.5 million annually on his next deal. Unfortunately, giving him that type of contract means the Oilers will be investing almost $20 million into two defensemen, Bouchard and Darnell Nurse. However, it seems as though the team is willing to take that risk.
Bouchard’s Offensive Strength Outweighs Defensive Lapses
Oilers fans are usually split up the middle when it comes to their opinion of Bouchard. Half of the fanbase usually values the analytics and offensive production and believes those outweigh the negatives of his defensive game, while the other half simply doesn’t understand why he is as highly touted as he is since they see lazy efforts defensively as well as some questionable decision-making as he exits the defensive zone. I am on the side that values his previous production and I believe he can bounce back from his slow start.
This season, Bouchard has scored four goals and added six assists for ten points through 17 games, which comes out to a 0.59 points-per-game average. Throughout his career, he has scored 45 goals and added 136 assists for 181 points through 282 games which comes out to a 0.64 points-per-game average. Last season, he scored 18 goals and added 64 assists for 82 points through 81 games notching a career-high in all three stats. One of his biggest strengths is his shot, and it was utilized in a big way last season on the man advantage. Unfortunately, he hasn’t been able to find the same confidence and carry it over into the new campaign.
When looking at his defensive lapses, they seem to be blown a bit out of proportion. While he has taken a step back, it is still very early in the season with plenty of time to bounce back, so there should be no reason to panic just yet. While $10.5 million annually might seem a bit steep for a top-pairing defender, it is the price the Oilers may have to pay with the salary cap going up and considering the rarity of good right-handed defenders.
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