Today I would like to talk about defensemen, and injury. In the before times, the Edmonton Oilers drafted (in a four-year window) Martin Marincin, Brandon Davidson, Oscar Klefbom, Erik Gustafsson and Darnell Nurse. The team also made some under the radar, astute free-agent signings (Taylor Fedun, Brad Hunt, Jordan Oesterle) during this period. If you were asked to pick the three men who would be playing in the NHL a decade later, would you have picked Nurse, Gustafsson, Oesterle, Hunt and Fedun? I don’t think you would have, and I’d be right with you. The problem is injury. A team needs depth. Let’s have a look.
THE ATHLETIC!
- New Lowetide: Why the Oilers must return to the OHL at 2023 NHL Draft
- Lowetide: The Edmonton Oilers guide to saving an NHL Draft on just three picks
- DNB: Why the Oilers are preparing to hold on to Cody Ceci this offseason
- DNB: What I’m hearing about Oilers’ offseason plans: Trade candidates, Erik Karlsson interest, more
- Lowetide: 5 Oilers assets that could have value in a trade this summer
- Lowetide: How the Oilers may handle a change in management
- Lowetide: Will the Oilers draft (and keep) a world class agitator in 2023?
- DNB: The Oilers missed a true Stanley Cup chance this year and the contention clock is ticking
- Lowetide: Can Oilers prospect Raphael Lavoie make the team in 2023-24?
- Lowetide: 10 Edmonton Oilers free-agent targets for this summer
- DNB: Oilers offseason priorities: A 10-step plan for ensuring success next season
- Lowetide: 7 ways the Oilers can create cap room for 2023-24
- Lowetide: Why Oilers winger Klim Kostin could be a key to Oilers summer
- DNB: How the Oilers roster could soon look different
- DNB: Oilers GM Ken Holland focused on ‘unfinished business’ entering final year of his contract
- Lowetide: Identifying a 2023 NHL Draft sleeper prospect for the Oilers
- Lowetide: Stock up or down for every Oilers prospect in the system
- Lowetide: Oilers top 20 prospects, winter 2022
BARONS BLUE 2014-15
The Oilers were running Marincin and Mark Fayne as the tough minutes pairing (source Puck IQ and Dobber Hockey) in another losing season. Puck IQ has Marincin playing 40.8 percent of his overall minutes versus the best, with a DFF percentage of 46.3 and a DFF%RC of 3.2 over 41 games. Fayne was less successful (39.2 DFF%, -5.4 DFF%RC) but led the Oilers defense with 418 minutes against elites that season. At that time, 2014-15, Marincin was an emerging young talent. His career (and that of Fayne) would head in another direction with the arrival of Peter Chiarelli and Todd McLellan in 2015 summer.
Andrew Ference and Jeff Petry were a common pairing that season, both men playing significant time against elites. Ference played 360 minutes, with a 39.9 DFF% and a -4.8 DFF%RC. Petry, the best defenseman on that team, played 317 minutes (in 11 fewer games) and posted a 44.8 DFF% and 2.4 DFF%RC. Ference was in his final full season in the league, his body spent playing a rugged game for 15 years while being 5.11, 182. Petry was traded at the deadline for the picks that turned into Jonas Siegenthaler and Caleb Jones.
The third pair was the most interesting. Oscar Klefbom played nine AHL games before being recalled to the NHL, and he was partnered often with young Justin Schultz. Despite playing in just 60 games, Klefbom would trail only Fayne in TOI versus elites (388 minutes). His totals (44 DFF% and 3.5 DFF%RC) were rock solid that season, but trailed Schultz by some margin. The young defender, much maligned, played 383 minutes versus elites (in 81 games), posting 48.4 DFF% and a 7.4 DFF%RC). Visually, Schultz was a land mine on ice. Mathematically, he was a pretty damn good young blue against elites.
Bubbling under, in Oklahoma City, were some of those young names who would go on to the NHL. Using Eric Rodgers fine work, we see Klefbom’s dominance, the promise of Brandon Davidson (he was brilliant until injuries derailed him), and some holes in the games of Marincin, Hunt and Oesterle.
If you view these numbers, and they are eight years old, projecting the career NHL games ahead wouldn’t be easy. Safe to say that Klefbom, Hunt, Oesterle and Davidson were on the way up, that Marincin would have just one more season (in Toronto) as an NHL regular, and the rest were also in photo. That was a team that was drafting pretty high every year, and extremely aggressive in signing free agents from college and elsewhere.
The current Oilers blue is far more stable. The top four next season will be Nurse, Mattias Ekholm, Evan Bouchard and Cody Ceci. The other three are Brett Kulak, Vincent Desharnais and Philip Broberg in no specific order.
Bubbling under, in the AHL, will be Markus Niemelainen, Cam Dineen and Phil Kemp. Max Wanner is the prospect with the biggest ceiling but he’s just turning pro this fall. Edmonton’s been slow-playing blue recently, so expecting any production in the NHL from him in 2023-24 is folly. In fact, it might be two seasons, and that’s if he makes it. The Oilers have Alex Peters and Xavier Bernard on AHL contracts but that’s really it. Luca Munzenberger could be signed and Darien Kielb did some good things.
I wrote yesterday about the OHL, the large number of good defensemen and possibly signing a few on the recommendation of Steve Staios. Looking at the Oilers depth chart on defense, it’s not beyond the realm of possibility. I think the Oilers need some help here, at least one, maybe two veterans who can play major roles in the AHL and be considered for AHL recall. Niemelainen and a puck mover, Dineen-Kemp and then a veteran to mentor Wanner. Maybe that’s Peters. Plus you’d like some depth there.
NHL DRAFT COMBINE LIST
The combine list has been published (it is here) and I always like to look for outliers. It’s supposed to be the top 100 prospects, but teams are given the right to ask for a player or two, and sometimes that team is the Oilers. I would bet cash on the barrelhead the Oilers are willing to chat with Terrell Goldsmith of the PA Raiders. He is ranked No. 180 NA by Central, is 6.03 and 218 and a shutdown type. Edmonton has returned to a shutdown type of player in recent drafts (Luca Munzenberger, Nikita Yevseyev) and Goldsmith is more physical but does display shutdown tendencies. One thing the two Oilers picks can do (move the puck) may be a challenge for Goldsmith.
Keep the defense and goal intact until the deadline when you will be able to see what adds (if any) are required. Desharnais is #7 and you run 11-7 to keep him involved. We will not be as lucky with injuries this year – all 7 guys will play a lot. To start the year you play this lineup on pretty much even minutes to load manage:
Nurse Boushard
Ekholm Broberg
Kulak Ceci
Desharnais
Top 6 is set but you give Kostin a run at 2RW with Drai and RNH. He has all the tools necessary: speed, size, shot, aggressiveness.
Try to keep Bjugstad and McLeod as 3/4 centers – but if you lose Bjugstad – then you have to get a defensive specialist who you can use to frustrate opposition top lines. Quit trying to make Drai and McD into offensive versions of Guy Carbonneau (that is what you should be trying to do with McLeod). Make a checking line.
Foegle Bjugstad xxx
Holloway McLeod Ryan
Lavoie/Philp
That’s all I see we need to do until the TDL – get a defensively solid aggressive forechecking 3RW for the checking line. Replace Bjugstad if necessary and add defensive depth in AHL.
Great song. Great video.
Also, yeah the Oilers need more depth on defence at the AHL level so the team can continue to compete when injuries invariably hit.
I miss Michael Kesslering.
I’ve played around with Bard and the results haven’t been good. It had Joe Thornton playing goalie this year.
Hopefully in a few more years AI will be able to get my analytics answers.
Lots of talk about Broberg. He’s difficult to project.
Broberg grabbed 12 and a half minutes per game in his draft + 4 year on a decentish, but not all-world, d group. That was one with a giant hole at 2LD until we acquired Ekholm.
Contrast that with Nicolas Hague. He grabbed a tick under 16 minutes in his draft plus four season. That’s a a d corps with more substance (Pietrangelo, Martinez, Theodore, and McNabb). That was in 2020-21.
He’s still patrolling the bottom pairing.
Where does Broberg go from here? What are the comps for his draft +4 year. That was not a lot of minutes.
Nurse played 17 minutes per night in his draft plus 4.
Broberg got worked against the elites this past season.
Nurse comparatively did far better against the elites in his draft +4.
Anyway, where I’m going with this… Did the Oilers scouting take a step back when they hired Tyler Wright? There was some talk at the time about not wanting to fix what wasn’t broken.
Tyler Wright arrived in time for the 2020 draft. He was on team Seider in 2019’s draft. I’m not sure if that’s where you are going, apologize if I’ve misunderstood.
As you know by now, I have a terrible habit of jumping from point a to k without filling in all of the steps in between.
I had actually googled his timeline, so I was aware of that.
Wright was the director of amature scouting for the Detroit Red Wings prior to getting hired by the Oilers (as you know). Many have speculated here previously, correctly or incorrectly, that Holland drafted a d in the first round in 2019 because he trusted his scouting team from Detroit.
It’s reasonably likely that Detroit was looking for a defensemen in the first round which means Holland would have had familiarity with the d projected in the first round including Broberg.
Either way, it’s reasonable to assume that Holland would have had conversations with Wright about Broberg while they both worked for the Red Wings.
At least that’s my assumption.
I think there’s some evidence of wobble, particularly in our recent 1st round picks.
Holland skipped over a lot of famous names to draft Broberg. Oilers fans were screaming “Zegras” much like in 1995 when everyone wanted Doan and we picked Steve Kelly.
Holloway had some notable red flags including the NHLe issue as you had pointed out during his draft year. He didn’t follow Mckenzie’s list that year either. (skipping over Mercer).
Then we traded down from Wallestedt to get a guy who might make it one day as a bottom pairing defender (Muzenberger) and took Bourgeault.
It’s possible that the Oilers downgraded their scouting when Holland and later Wright came on board.
I have no quarrel with any of what you’ve written. The concern over offense runs through the Wright drafts. I tracked Edmonton and Broberg in a media word cloud that spring and he didn’t get a mention until Holland’s first media avail. It was by a tree, if I recall. Within a week, Broberg’s presence in the word cloud was gigantic, or as OP would say, material.
Or significant.
With Alex Martinez aging out, 36 next month with only year left, on his contract, I would think Hague is his heir apparent at a lower cap hit.
I’m trying to find some comps for Broberg’s (21/22) season (draft + 4)
Julius Honka. Drafted by Dallas Stars, #14 in 2014. Draft plus 4 season, played exactly 13 minutes per night. Didn’t pan out. Currently 27 y/o playing in Sweden.
You follow Dallas, what do you remember about Honka?
Anton Lindholm 5th round pick. 13:10 in draft + 4. Never played in NHL after that.
Oliver Kylington. 2nd round pick. Played 12:25 in his draft + 4.
Played top four minutes 2021-2, then disappeared in 2022-3. Is he injured presumably?
Took a year off for “personal reasons” which I suspect translates as he didn’t want to play for Sutter.
He’s returning to the Flames in the fall.
Not sure about the down vote on Oliver Kylington?
Kylington is a little better than 4 years older.
He played in the SweHL with 0.27 points per game in his draft season and 0.41 ppg in the Swe-1.
Broberg had 0.22 points per game in his draft season in the Swe-1.
Draft + 1, Kylington had 0.21 ppg in the AHL vs Broberg 0.29 ppg in SweHL.
Draft +2, Kylington had 0.56 ppg in the AHL vs Broberg 0.23 ppg in SweHl
draft + 3, Kylington had 0.21 ppg in the NHL and 0.78 ppg in AHL vs Broberg 0.13 ppg in NHL and 0.74 ppg in AHL
draft + 4, Kylington had 0.15 ppg in NHL vs Broberg 0.17
draft +5 Kylington had 0.42 ppg in the NHL
Kylington is a little smaller, but seems to be a reasonabl’ish comp for Broberg
I wouldn’t complain if Broberg goes 73-9-22-31 next season while playing top four minutes.
Yes, and I’d argue his injuries woes are a big reason Calgary missed the playoffs.
Great wheels but a tire fire in his own zone.
Thanks for the feedback on those d.
The sub 13 minute club is mostly populated by older d on their way out of the NHL.
I couldn’t find any other d in their draft plus 4 season.
Kylington seems to be the outer marker.
Let’s look at a few others…
Hampus Lindholm. Draft +4 season. 22 minutes per night. Top-pairing.
Oscar Klefbom. 2011t 19th. Draft + 4 season. 21:59. Top-pairing.
Rasmus Risto. 8th OV, 2013. Draft +4 season. 26:28 [!]. Top-pairing.
Haydn Fleury 2014 7th. 16:47 per game. Currently 27 and a depth defender (outside of top six) for the Bolts.
Sergachev. 9th, 2016. 21:36 in his draft + 4. 3rd on team in toi/game.
See, this is where context is lost in this type of comparison – sure, Klefbom played top pairing for much of that season, however, (1) that team included the likes of Nikitin, Hunt, Marincin, Fayne, Aulie, Davidson, etc. and (2) Klefbom got annihilated in that spot.
Nuance and context lost when looking for comparables like this though, right?
Doesn’t account for an injury in camp that limited his mobility and then a sliced hand (freak injury) early in the season. He started the season behind. With that said, up and till the Ekholm acquisition, Broberg was averaged over 13:30 per game, leading the team in expected goal share (d-men) and 2nd in goal share.
He was coming along well, most were very happy – the issue was Kulak wasn’t consistent enough at 2LD and they brought in Ekholm knocking Broberg down and he got lost in the shuffle because the PK was so bad they “needed Vinny”.
A year ago at this time, Broberg was tracking ahead of Klefbom for draft plus 3.
Klefbom played 35% of his toi against elites with a dff of 44% on that Oilers squad.
Broberg played 12% of his toi against elites with a dff of 41% on a vastly better team.
Honka couldn’t defend. Offense only D. Broberg was the best defender in his Swedish class of D.
Honka 5’11”
Broberg 6’3″
Bettmans plan of handing Vegas the cup is going well. Gonna get his bosses 1.5 bil from next round of expansion to Houston and Kansas City
Teams have had 6 years to adapt after expansion.
Most still haven’t figured it out.
Do we have any dogs in the fight in tonight’s memorial cup final?
Reid Schaefer, who the Oilers drafted with the 32 ov pick last year, was traded to Nashville in the package for Ekholm.
Cheers for the reply.
I recall being rather excited when Reid was selected… imagined his future as prospect gold. Oh well, there is no doubt what we received in return is actual NHL gold.
I’ll be watching tonight… although the NHL do not play tonight, I expect the memorial cup game to be far more entertaining than the Stanley finals.
Oilers D is just not good enough to win a cup
It depends on Broberg. Which is why you should play him with Nurse to find out if one needs to sell another big chunk of the future at the deadline for a D.
Tampa would play Sergachev a lot on the right side with McDonagh and/or on the left side on the 3rd pair.
Theodore has always played the right side. Heiskanen can play anywhere. The great skaters can play either side if they have been doing it all along the way, and Broberg has.
Bouwmeester played both sides. Niedermayer.
If we are going down this route, seems like the logical place for Broberg would be with Ekholm. Tougher minutes and more responsibility but not the absolute toughest minutes on the team – lets be clear, Nurse still played the tougher minutes over Ekholm last season and, given their ages, I don’t anticipate that changing.
This also allows Bouchard to get the McDavid minutes (with Nurse) which is a no-brainer.
I think Ekholm-Bouchard can handle the McDavid minutes. That’s a damn good pairing. Edmonton has two pairs who can go head to head, and Broberg might be the Nurse option as the year rolls along. The Oilers need to find out about Broberg before they trade him.
I don’t disagree that is a great pairing and they can handle the McDavid minutes but (a) we also know the Nurse and McDavid have excelled the on the ice together and (b) presuming Nurse continues to get the toughest assignments (over Ekholm), its seems a bit of an aggressive push for Broberg and (c) Ekholm seems like a very good partner/mentor for Broberg, on a few levels (seems).
100% agree on the last statement and I thought he should have been playing nightly this past season (and in the playoffs) – real minutes.
Chris Pronger took along whatever middling D St. Louis would play him with, including Barret Jackman as a rookie.
Nurse has already done this to some extent.
Give Nurse a D that is not addled by physical limitations or defensive awareness limitations. Nurse will not have to compensate defensively playing with Broberg like he has to with Bouchard, Ceci, Barrie, and Bear.
If Bouchard is a good offensively as his boosters claim, he doesn’t need the best defender on the team with him. Ekholm will be more than good enough.
Over the course of the last 3 seasons, Nurse/Bouchard have an expected goal share of almost 59% – in just shy of 700 minutes.
Bouchard is a rising start in the NHL and is improving his defending (in various ways) right in front of our eyes – he does not addle.
I’ve been expressly told numerous times that Bouchard was “meandering.”
Not here to discuss the “source” but Steve Simmons stating that Matthews will be the highest paid player on his next contract. This is not surprising at all, I presume that would be the case.
Where my stomach drops is Simmons speculating it’ll be in the $15MM plus range. Now, I don’t know if that’s pure speculating or based on substantive info but its, well, not good.
My reasonable expectation was that Drai would re-sign with the Oilers in the $13MM range – a bump over MacKinnon as the currently highest paid player. Then, McDavid would come over the top in the $15.5MM range.
I think the above is totally reasonable, I don’ think either of those guys will “demand” anything close to the 20% max – if we believe them at all with respect to “all that matters is winning”, they both know that demanding anywhere near the max is, well, totally prohibitive of winning a championship.
I have also posited that one thing the could mess up the above contract term plans is Auston Matthews. I presumed highest paid but in the MacKinnon range, maybe $13MM. I feared $14MM (which would add to both McDvid and Drai) but if its at $15MM or so – that’s going to be a big problem.
They don’t ’have to’ do stupid things just because TO does. Holland might as with Nurse. I wouldn’t except Connor and I don’t think he’d want to
Just say no. No depth no change cup
I understand that but it would be really tough for Leon to accept a lower AAV than Matthews – hence the potential problem.
Lets hope Treliving holds tight to a number near Pastrnak.
I know but it’s a choice between a ‘window’ and sustainability. For me a high 8 year for Leon is risky. Maybe next season he goes back to a two way 5v5 outscorer. This season not so, and painfully predictable when it counted
Maybe his high ankle was still a factor and they can be for a year, but he was far too stationary and it makes him easy to defend in a series when teams make specific strategies which they don’t much game to game in the season
Fantastic one timer and the occasional incredible pass for sure, the monstrous amount of high risk plays trying those passes are not what I think helps the cause at hand. If there has to be that guy, it’s Connor for me, or nobody, doing that much
Steve Simmons is a clown without the makeup.
He’s David Staples on mushrooms.
AM going to 15m is pretty funny. It won’t be with an organization planning on winning the cup.
The seven NHL d-men are known.
The depth behind them in Bakersfield is, well, very thin.
Niemo is who he is and, while some fans love him for his “hunting hits”, he’s unlikely to help a team win a Stanley Cup – if he’s playing more than a handful of game while injuries pile up, its a problem.
Cam Dineen also is who he is. While he has NHL experience, similar to Niemo, if he’s in the lineup more than a handful of games when injuries pile up, the team has d-group issues.
I do like Phil Kemp and his progression. I think he COULD help a team win going forward but, for this coming season, the best we could hope for is a good show in a cup of coffee – not a material role of any sort.
Bottom line: The depth is almost non-existent. Its tough to imagine a Kulak or Ceci out. Moving Kulak because Broberg is ready for 3LD (which he is, and like more) is a reasonable argument but can’t be done due to the lack of depth. Ceci out to upgrade the top 4 is a real argument but seems highly unlikely to happen in practice.
Bring back the 7 – play Broberg, play him nightly, play him through personal struggles, play him through team struggles – re-asses at deadline.
Would like a Luke Schenn as a depth guy but the org likes Deharnais and there is no way I am not playing Broberg – that’s me – I’m not the coaching staff (who didn’t play Broberg) or the GM.
I agree: Play the kid (Bro).
If not moving D out because of depth issues, the only answer is to move out forwards (or Campbell). Again, that means Play the kid(s). More ice for Hollywood, at a minimum.
Subject to some sort of shocking move none of us see coming, yes, its forwards out and Yamo is clearly #1 on the list. I think they may need to move on from Foegele as well if they have any desire to add more than a depth forward in free agency.
I don’t want to move Foegele but cap space is needed and there is no replacement for any of the d-man (and no injury cover in behind the current d-man, not real cover).
Leftie/Rightie, aside, I think Yamamoto and Foegle can reasonably be replaced by Holloway and Lavoie (although Lavoie remain a big question mark given, you know, no NHL games) – its more reasonable than any d-man currently in the org replacing any of the incumbent 7.
It curious how they seem to prefer Desharnais over Broberg. Maybe the play is to trade Broberg. NHL Sid had an interesting trade scenario with the Jets… Ceci, Yamamoto and Broberg, for DeMelo & Niederreiter. Money in, money out. DeMelo would be an upgrade on Ceci and Niederreiter would be a nice fit in the top six. I’d be curious to see what you would think of a trade like that. If Holland could swing it. Jets might prefer Foegele instead of Yamamoto. But there’s always the buyout option, if there are no takers on Yamamoto.
Jesus that’s an awful trade.
That’s my opinion (though you didn’t ask).
Just so bad, wow.
Really? What’s so bad about it? It solves two areas of concern, a top six forward and an upgraded partner for Nurse in one swipe of the magic wand and the money works.
Nuge-McDavid-Hyman
Kane-Leon-Niedereiter
Ekholm-Bouchard
Nurse-Demelo
I’m highly skeptical that DeMelo is better than Ceci. His numbers aren’t that great and he’s never played minutes as difficult as Ceci’s in the last year and a half.
DeMelo for Ceci is likely a lateral move and maybe not even that.
Niederreiter was just traded for a 2nd at the deadline. That’s his value (minus the 20-25% of his remaining deal that’s burned off since the trade). He’s most likely an upgrade on Yamamoto but that difference is only worth a 2nd or a 3rd IMO.
So NHL Sid’s trade proposal (IMO) amounts to Broberg for a 2nd/3rd. Thus terrible value.
We seem to agree on Ceci (and his value vis-a-vis Demelo).
I don’t think how difficult the task Manson has provided to Ceci is can be under-stated.
The likes of Mayfield, Soucy, DeMelo have simply not has the type of responsibility Ceci has had – sure, Mayfield and/or DeMelo MAY be upgrades but neither are a certainty.
BTW DeMelo/Niederreiter are $650k more expensive than Ceci/Yamamoto. That trade is only money in/ money out if you don’t replace Broberg on the roster.
It is nuts to trade Broberg before knowing what he is. Arguably Broberg is the key to McDavid and Draisaitl re-signing if he reaches his potential. Nurse, Broberg, and Bouchard (and Skinner) are an extremely solid base for McDraivid to pursue Cups the latter three reach their potential.
I would like to see more out of Broberg. As OP says, the coaching staff seems to prefer Desharnais. Just makes me wonder if Bro might be on the block. As crazy as that seems to be.
Is Demelo an upgrade? Maybe he is but I don’t think its a certainty. He played apx 30% of his TOI vs. elites (more against mid and more against grits than elites). I don’t think he can discount the level of comp that Ceci played (and he was 60% goal share vs. elites this past season, while playing hurt) and also how good he was the prior year.
That trade isn’t outrageous, I guess, and maybe something like that makes sense but, not only does it crater out D-depth (2 D out and 1 in) but I think including Broberg is just way too much of a risk.
Actually, the more I think about it, the more I don’t like that trade – Broberg is just too valuable a piece and I’m not sure DeMelo is an upgrade on Ceci at all.
Even if he doesn’t “pop”, he’s going to be super cheap for a while still and providing excess value for his cap hit – the Oilers need some of these cheap contracts in the lineup.
IMHO Schenn has played himself into a 2 million+ guy
One problem with UFA depth is that serviceable ones want a roster spot. Guys like Murray who are done will take a limited role for the 1M USD. But they don’t turn the dial at all usually. I’d rather watch Niemo or Kemp mess up than a washed up vet do exactly the same. At least one has upside
Roll with the 7 and hope Bro takes a higher spot as it goes
I like Bouchard’s offensive instincts. He’s gifted.
However playing the number of minutes that warrant being as far up the pay scale as I fear that he and his representation thinks he deserves requires being on the ice during the harder game states and I don’t think that he’s built for that type of hockey.
I don’t think he should be more than our third or (preferably) forth highest paid defensemen.
Shouldn’t be too hard to thread the needle between 3rd and 4th highest paid Oilers D.
I mean ever:)
Ha! Preferably never much more than $3.25M?
I guess that’s a veiled vote for ‘trade Bouchard’.
He has taken major strides defensively IMO. He’s 23, he has the physical tools, and he’s not yet at 200 regular season games. I expect him to continue to improve as he matures.
Not all agree, clearly.
Agree with your assessment of the gifted Evan Bouchard. He has done well in a privileged opportunity to put up points but is not yet a complete defenseman.
There are three possible routes to take with him:
1) Sign him long now, with the expectation his defending will improve. – This is a great option if the Oilers had money. They do not.
2) Bridge him, and sign him long next contract when the cap goes up.
3) Bridge him, and trade him as an RFA after he puts up seasons with inflated point totals.
Yes, you are trading a point-producing D in his prime with #3, but you are prioritizing money to pay Draisaitl & McDavid. Bouchard will also return a fortune in a trade when he’s 25, coming off a 70-point season 🙂
I said it when they signed Barrie that he would cock block Bouchard on the P.P. Barrie was a good soldier better than I originally thought he would be. Anyhow I could also see Bouchard scoring 20+ the Oiler P.P has had many different looks from year to year they change it up so the opposition can’t key certain looks. Next year I believe that Bouchard will be given the green light to blast more shots from the point aka Sheldon Souray. Bouchard will be bridged and he will be in the top 3 D-man scoring next year.
Bouchard has done very well when paired with Nurse over the course of the last 3 seasons.
I saw a marked improvement in his defensive structure game, his urgency in puck retrievals and physical play through the season and the playoffs.
A defensive stud he is not (nor will he ever be I wouldn’t think) but he’s a young and developing d-man that has size, physical attributes and is a smart hockey player.
He will continue to develop and improve in this area.
He made quite a few high visible errors in the first half of this season and I think those are sticking in the mind of many and over-stating his defensive inabilities. Truth be told, by the numbers, he was dealing with some poor luck and the mistakes weren’t all that high in quantity but there were some humdingers that stand out.
Of course, that was almost completely related to confidence. Lets not forget, he could barely handle the puck or pass the puck accurately for much of the first half of the season – he’s an elite passer that couldn’t pass for a while – it was clearly a confidence thing which isn’t all that alarming given his age.
I would feel very comfortable starting the season with:
Nurse/Bouchard – McDavid minutes
Ekholm/Ceci – Drai minutes
Kulak/Broberg
I’d also be willing to have Broberg with some minutes beside Ekholm but Ceci has proven to be a legit top 4 RD and he deserves the opportunity to show he’s recovered and regressed back up.
Shocking
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