It would be incredibly ridiculous to think that the Edmonton Oilers would be open to trading defenseman Evan Bouchard, but that’s exactly what one insider is suggesting while speaking about the next negotiation steps that need to be taken between the organization and the player. Noting that the Oilers would like to get the pending restricted free agent signed to a bridge deal this summer, if Bouchard is only open to a long-term extension, Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli says a trade isn’t out of the realm of possibility.
What Is the Off-Season Situation for Bouchard and the Oilers?
The Oilers have a handful of unrestricted free agents that will either need to be re-signed or move on. Among them are Derek Ryan, Mattias Janmark, Nick Bjugstad, and Devin Shore. They also have two notable restricted free agents in Ryan McLeod and Klim Kostin. That said, Bouchard is the most important piece of business the Oilers need to take care of this offseason.
Bouchard is finishing his entry-level contract and will be due for a raise, especially when you consider his point totals and how important he’s become to the Oilers’ blue-line corps this year. The question will be whether to offer him a bridge deal and try to get him extended at a manageable number over the next two seasons or lock him in long-term immediately and hope that the number becomes a team-friendly value deal as he progresses in his career.
A Bridge Deal for Bouchard Seems Most Likely
While a long-term deal would avoid any potential headache down the road — much like offering an overpayment to Darnell Nurse when he became a pending UFA — the Oilers may have little choice but to go the bridge deal route. Seravalli explained, “I don’t see a path as currently constituted for a long-term deal. I think they (Edmonton) are thinking bridge and they are hoping bridge.” He noted that it would probably fall in the range of two years and $3.5 -$4.5 million per season.
This is not a bad deal at all for Edmonton, but the concern here financially is that Bouchard keeps progressing and becomes a 60-point defenseman while rounding out overall play and limiting his defensive woes. If he proves he’s more than a one-dimensional offensive threat, he’s going to play himself into a situation where he could easily be an $8-$9 million defenseman when the salary cap jumps an incredible amount.
There is sound logic to trying to ink him long-term now, even if eight years by $5 million isn’t where the number will be (it will be more).
Would the Oilers Actually Trade Bouchard?
Servalli adds, “If it gets to the point where is not willing to sign a bridge and only wants long-term then it is not out of the realm of possibility that he (Evan Bouchard) gets traded this summer.” He notes, “I don’t think it is something the Oilers want to do; however, they are dealing with a tight salary cap.”
This is absolutely worst-case scenario talk and it’s not something fans should be concerned about, but the fact it’s being mentioned means there is the potential for such a move.
Tight salary cap or not, I can’t see this happening. There a very few scenarios in which the Oilers trading Bouchard works out in their favor. And, if he wants a long-term deal now — there’s no saying that’s what he actually wants — the Oilers should and probably will find a way to make it happen.
That could mean trading Brett Kulak and/or Cody Ceci and replacing them with Vincent Desharnais and another less-costly option in free agency. If it means that the Oilers have to let all of the above-mentioned UFAs leave, so be it. If the Oilers have to bridge McLeod and Kostin, fine. The point here is that Bouchard is proving himself to be way too valuable to this Oilers’ club to even consider trading him. And, this is knowing full well he’s not even reached his potential yet.
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Whether the Oilers choose to bridge him and push that contract down the road or give him a long-term extension this summer, a trade is not the way to go. In fact, the smart play might be to overpay him a bit on a long-term deal now while planning for the jump in the cap that makes his contract a steal by comparison.
The only exception to all of this is if the San Jose Sharks come calling and say, ‘We’ll take Bouchard and Jack Campbell and give you Erik Karlsson retained at 50%.’ Note the tone of sarcasm here because I don’t see this happening after how things shaped up this season during the trade deadline.
The play is to get a Bouchard extension done. Frankly, the Oilers won’t win any deal that involves him.