Quinnn Hughes vs Evan Bouchard

[TheNumber4]

You brought up overpaid
So context on the purest definition of the word was needed

In the context of Hughes and Bouchard. One overpaid, the other way underpaid and way better.

 

[McVespa99]

I would say Hughes today but long term I would not discount Bouchard. He is bigger and will likely be more durable. The only definite advantage I see for Hughes is his skating. Bouchard has a better shot. His passing is just as good. He seems to have a good offensive hockey IQ. Bouchard also seems to be improving in his own end every year. If we are being honest neither of them is a shutdown guy and I dont expect they ever will be.
This poll will be a landslide for Hughes but Im not sure the result will be the same in a year or 2.

 

[CupofOil]

Oiler fans never cease to amaze me.

Bouchard is the only one overrated here.

Some Oiler fans are definitely overrating Bouchard in this thread and Hughes is the better Dman with the much more extensive track record but there's no doubt that the gap has closed and this isn't just based on the playoff series. It has nothing to do with Hughes getting worse, Bouchard has gotten that much better over the past year.

Also, people who think that Bouchard is just a passenger because of.... McDrai really don't watch the Oilers close enough. It's the same garbage we had to hear about Draisaitl being a product of McDavid in the early years before people finally realized that Drai is just really really good. Same with Bouchard, he drives a lot of play with fueling transition and with his outlet passes and his shot is arguably the best in the league among Dmen. His defense will never be a big strength but it's gone from really bad to adequate if not above average. Ekholm helps in that department but Bouchard has made major strides and has also benefited Ekholm as well who is playing the best hockey of his career.

 

[PuckG]

Overpaid by definition is Nurse
A top 5 highest paid dman in the league this season

Everybody has that black sheep that is overpaid. Just like EP for the Canucks next year.

Nurse just happens to be ours.

Hughes is the better dman but he’s overrated defensively.

 

[Oleksiak]

Everybody has that black sheep that is overpaid. Just like EP for the Canucks next year.

Nurse just happens to be ours.

Hughes is the better dman but he’s overrated defensively.

I'll take overrated defensively over a guy who should be sitting in the AHL press box until he starts making an honest effort to stop playing like trash in his own zone.

 

[HockeyWooot]

Bouchard has definitely impressed these playoffs, but still Hughes imo.

Different players and skillsets like comparing Niedermayer with Burns (not saying either player are the same as these two).

Not a perfect science but as a sanity check what would the impacts be if they swapped teams?

Both would still be great players, but Oilers would definitely be better off and Canucks worse off.

Bouchard would be a valuable player no doubt but wouldn’t step in as the Canucks most valuable player that is the engine of the team that makes others better. Hughes would make the team significantly better when he’s on the ice, and benefit from playing with McDrai putting up monster totals.

 

[Buck Naked]

Wild seeing a Norris candidate being compared to a guy who is so bad in his own zone that he doesn't even belong in the NHL.

I'll take overrated defensively over a guy who should be sitting in the AHL press box until he starts making an honest effort to stop playing like trash in his own zone.

Ye ye, we see you. In this and every thread about Bouchard.. Not enough attention at home?

 

[Soundwave]

Looking at the amount of other elite Dmen in the league and peaking at the upcoming defensive prospects I doubt that Bouchard even gets a top 5 Norris placing and I actually like him as a player.


For me it was Larry Murphy vibes, a good primarily offensive Dman playing with some exceptional offensive talent.

How many of those other "elite dmen" in the league that are under 25 years old are already top 4 in D-Man scoring in the regular season and no.1 in playoff scoring this season (really the last two playoffs actually). 37 points in his last two playoffs (and counting) is higher than Cale Makar in the playoffs the last two years.

Lets face it the Norris trophy heavily leans towards guys who put up points, Bouchard I think could very easily work himself into the conversation.

There's not that many player's putting up numbers like Bouchard in the league period, certainly not many in his age range.

This is only the guy's 3rd full season in the league too, odds are he can get better.

 

[dirtydanglez]

hughes has his flaws but this should be a landslide.

 

[Skolman]

Hughes is the better player, but Bouchard sure outplayed him in that series.

I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if Bouchard is considered the better player by the end of next season.

He's still only in his 3rd full NHL season.

https://x.com/i/web/status/1793303555744608417

 

[Tobias Kahun]

I'll take overrated defensively over a guy who should be sitting in the AHL press box until he starts making an honest effort to stop playing like trash in his own zone.

I feel sorry for Canucks fans that have to deal with this poster

 

[CascadiaPuck]

Poll needs four options:
- non-Canucks fan voting Hughes
- Canucks fan voting Hughes
- non-Oilers fan voting Bouchard
- Oilers fan voting Bouchard

Ignore the results of options 2 and 4 to get a better answer.

 

[Despote]

Hughes if you want pretty piruets in regular season hockey, Bouchard if you want BOMBS that light up the score sheet in the playoffs.

 

[Oleksiak]

I feel sorry for Canucks fans that have to deal with this poster

I feel sorry for Oilers fans that have to watch Bouchard disgrace the franchise with his atrocious play in his own zone.

 

[Aqualung]

I feel sorry for Canucks fans that have to deal with this poster

Every fanbase has them, Oilers have a few doozy ones in here.

 

[DomBarr]

Hughes and its not even really close to being a toss up. He has been doing more, for longer with less talent supporting him.

 

[zar]

Points this season…
Hughes - 102 (59 ESP)
Bouchard - 102 (59 ESP)… and counting

Some score in November and some score when it matters most.

 

[docbenton]

I think Hughes was injured in some way, we'll find out, but his skating seemed lacking in its usual explosiveness during much of the playoffs. He still managed to contribute, but clearly wasn't at his best. Agree that Bouchard was mostly excellent and skated really well. But injury might have affected how the head-to-head looked this year.

For what it's worth, I had Hughes and Bouchard rated #2 and #3 in their draft year. There were those who really hated Bouchard because of his flaws, but I've always been much more interested in how good a player was at what they were good at than what their flaws were as a prospect.

 

[GreeningOil]

I feel sorry for Oilers fans that have to watch Bouchard disgrace the franchise with his atrocious play in his own zone.

Man. What.

He has been rather excellent all playoffs and in total the last 80 games.

 

[Three On Zero]

Hughes a clear class above in every aspect other than slapping a puck. Poor Bouch got destroyed in this poll

I feel sorry for Oilers fans that have to watch Bouchard disgrace the franchise with his atrocious play in his own zone.

He’s not that level of bad.

 

[spiny norman]

Lopsided result.