When will Bouchard be considered elite?

[Pass the Saitl Sauce]

Just, please, get him a better nickname.

Well, I don't know if it's a nickname or just something they say when he shoots from the point, but Bouch bomb? Cmon. Sounds like a feminine hygiene product.

We could call him genie Bouchard cause his shots from the point make my wishes come true

 

[Soundwave]

He still has things to improve on, but again this is still like his only 3rd full season in the league, there's very few D-Men in the league that were putting up these numbers and having playoff rounds like the one Bouchard just had in just their 3rd full year in the league.

I think at this point it is safe to say he is an All-Star caliber D for sure, he should have been on the All-Star team really just based on the regular season production but we know the dumb "every team gets a all-star rep" participation trophy means a lot of actual All-Stars don't make the team.

If he keeps trending like this I would say he's going to start to get serious consideration for Team Canada. He is definitely one of the league's rising young stars on D.

As for comparables, I think the Brent Burns comparable is actually not a bad one. A lot of teams would kill to have a 24 year old Brent Burns.

 

[AvroArrow]

To have a chance, our stars have to be better than theirs and we're going to need Skinner to be at least Oettinger's equal. A tall task, but not impossible.

Bouchard's been very good defensively these playoffs too. McDavid and Draisaitl both spoke about how good he's been on both sides of the puck.

He's also now the only defenceman in the history of the league to have 20+ points in the first two rounds of the playoffs.

I have full faith in McDavid/Drai to create 2-3 goals a game, if Skinner can play at a high level they have a chance. If he can just give the Oilers .910 goaltending, I think they win the series, I just don't have a lot of optimism in Skinner pulling that off but if he is able to, the Oilers go all the way.

The emergence of Bouchard + addition of Ekholm has been amazing for that team, if they can just get goaltending they have more than enough firepower to outscore anybody in the league.

Skinner is the X factor and the most important player of the series. His play will directly dictate who wins/loses this series.

 

[Buck Naked]

As for the thread title, when he stops being babysat on defence.

Did you know that over the last two seasons, Makar is averaging 3.15 5v5 GA/60 without Toews on the ice?

Erik Karlsson, last year when he won the Norris and was called the worst defensive player in the world because of his high GA, had a 5v5 GA/60 of 3.45. Then account for teammates and goalies and I think they're pretty similar.

Would you say that Makar is being babysat on defense by Toews, or does that only apply to Bouchard? And just for reference. Evan Bouchard without Ekholm over the same two-year span. 3.05 5v5 GA/60.

 

[HockeyVirus]

Hopefully he gets 10+ from the Oilers.

 

[Soundwave]

Bottom line is if this guy is a budding star, and it certainly appears that way, there's not that many teams that have a 24 year old D-Man doing the things he is.

It's nothing but a good thing for the Oilers because it signals to McDavid and Draisaitl that there are other reasons to stay around besides just each other.

There's not many teams that can offer McDavid a player like Draisaitl to play with (and obviously vice versa) AND also have a young D that's breaking out like Bouchard too, and then you throw in the advantage with 8 year contract term that only they can offer, the fact that now they are in the Conference Finals 2/3 seasons (not many teams can claim that), you have Hyman on a great deal, etc. ... it improves their bargaining position in keeping the big 2 around.

 

[sportsdynasty]

Bouchard is elite. Top 5 man in nhl. More valuable than McDavid these playoffs.

All I've seen on here is people saying Bouchard is a PP merchant, product of Ekholm etc.

He's got 37 pts in the past 24 playoff games, he's +10 in plus minus this playoffs, 3 game winning goals. He was 4th highest scoring dman in the regular season with over a PPG and +34 in plus/minus.

I've watched a ton of Oilers games and he passes the eye test too imo. He's often the key to Oilers getting out of their own zone. And his play in the offensive zone is unmatched.

I'm just wondering what he has to do in order for people to consider him elite? He's basically setting playoff records for dmen and nobody gives him notice.

 

[thefutures]

8x 11 million minimum!!

 

[Frosty415]

Not the most deluded Oiler fan post I've seen but certainly a contender

I'm not an Oilers fan

 

[hirawl]

JFC. All I can say.

 

[EdmFlyersfan]

8x 11 million minimum!!

 

[josra33]

I was shit on two years ago for saying they needed to play Bouchard on the PP over Barrie in their cup run against the Avs. He has a wicked shot from the point.

 

[TheNumber4]

The thing with Bouchard too is that he’s had a PERFECT development path set forth by the Oilers.

Coming out of Junior; the knocks on his game was a lack of compete, intensity, physicality, and iffy defence.

Oilers brought him up nice and slowly. Tyson Barrie was brought in to QB the PP so that Bouch could focus on his defence and his 5v5 game. Duncan Kieth was brought in to show Bouchard what championship level commitment and effort looked like from an HOF defenceman. Then you bring in Ekholm to further help on the defensive end and create perfect synergy. Then you bring on one of the best defenceman all time in Paul Coffey to further mentor him.

When it was finally time and Bouch had developed enough of his weaknesses, the Oilers finally unleashed his full potential offensively giving him the PP and number 1 D minutes. And with McDrai feeding him there’s no better way to achieve that potential.

 

[sensfan4lifee]

Bouchard is elite. Top 5 man in nhl. More valuable than McDavid these playoffs.

He is not a top 5 d-man I wouldn't even consider him top 10

 

[Czechboy]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1792795271799386614

If I'm reading this right though... he has to beat Dallas singlehandedly to get respect.lol

Makar didn't beat Dallas
Pietrangelo and Theordore didn't beat Dallas
Hughes couldn't even get to Dallas
Josi is playing Finland as I type this in Prague

But Bouch has to beat Dallas.

 

[Buck Naked]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1792795271799386614

If I'm reading this right though... he has to beat Dallas singlehandedly to get respect.lol

Makar didn't beat Dallas
Pietrangelo and Theordore didn't beat Dallas
Hughes couldn't even get to Dallas
Josi is playing Finland as I type this in Prague

But Bouch has to beat Dallas.

This whole thread is filled with double standards, and when you point them out and counter with facts people myseriously disappear and refuse to answer.

 

[Fishy McScales]

He is not a top 5 d-man I wouldn't even consider him top 10

List your top 10 and demonstrate why you rate that group higher.

 

[Czechboy]

This whole thread is filled with double standards, and when you point them out and counter with facts people myseriously disappear and refuse to answer.

My new Fav is small sample size when you point out the entire playoffs and 2 rounds.. or his previous 2 playoffs.lol Like, is 3 playoffs not enough proof?lol

 

[TheNumber4]

Leafs fans sure are obsessed with Bouchard. But I can’t blame them, if Bouchard was a Leaf he’d be the greatest defenceman in Leaf’s history.

 

[Czechboy]

List your top 10 and demonstrate why you rate that group higher.

Bobby Orr, Paul Coffey, Raymond Bourque, Cale Makar, Peak Karlsson for Ottawa, Lidstrom, Brian Leetch, Phil Housley, Sergei Zubov, Doug Harvey and Viktor Hedman.

Bouch absolutely sucks.lmao

 

[Czechboy]

Leafs fans sure are obsessed with Bouchard. But I can’t blame them, if Bouchard was a Leaf he’d be the greatest defenceman in Leaf’s history.

Kaberle! Come now, the original PP merchant deserves your respect!

 

[sensfan4lifee]

List your top 10 and demonstrate why you rate that group higher.

Fox
McCaoy
Slavin
Hughes
Josi
Dahlin
Heiskanen
Hedman
Morrissey

And the reason I would rate all of these people above Bouchard is sustained elite play over multiple seasons.

I could probably add more d-man to my list I'd take over him, but playing with McDavid and Drai will inflate his numbers ala Hyman and Hopkins.

I'm not saying he's a bad player, and I'm not saying he won't eventually be a top 10 d-man but it takes more than one season for me to put a play as a top ten talent which he is clearly not.

 

[North Cole]

Small sample size. I remember a thread just like this one two years ago. Let’s see how his defense holds up against Dallas first.

"One series? That's Small sample size, let's see how he does in a different series."

Has to be satire.

 

[TheNumber4]

Kaberle! Come now, the original PP merchant deserves your respect!

How could I forget. Morgan Reilly can never live up to that.

 

[Nasti]

"One series? That's Small sample size, let's see how he does in a different series."

Has to be satire.

Yes, as in, let’s at least increase the sample size before we declare him Paul Coffey.