Oilers Trading Evan Bouchard Could Solve Future Cap Issues

The Edmonton Oilers are going to have some cap issues in their near future on top of the need to re-sign Connor McDavid who is eligible for a new contract extension on July 1st, 2025. They have struggled to find consistent depth players in the past and while they’ve been doing well over the past couple of seasons, they could run into some issues finding a way to keep their entire lineup strong past the 2025-26 campaign.

Darnell Nurse already makes $9.25 million annually and while it’s considered a bit of a hefty contract, it’s something the team has to deal with. Leon Draisaitl extended with the Oilers on a deal worth $14 million annually, and McDavid is expected to come in around $15-16 million per season. One man who might be the odd man out is defender Evan Bouchard. 

Bouchard, who is 25 years old, has scored eight goals and added 29 assists for 37 points through 50 games this season. He has scored 49 goals and added 159 assists for 208 points through 315 games in his career and has established himself as an elite offensive defender who can quarterback a power play. Unfortunately for the Oilers, his strong play could lead to some salary cap issues down the line if he asks for more than what Nurse makes. 

Analytics would tell you Bouchard is one of the strongest two-way defenders in the NHL, and while I blatantly disagree, I won’t go into that during this article. Regardless of what fans think of him, the stats speak for themselves and as a right-shot defender, which is extremely hard to come by, his value couldn’t be any higher. The problem with all of this is the contract situation for Bouchard, who is a pending restricted free agent and is looking for a massive pay raise. If the Oilers want to be able to fill out their roster while keeping McDavid around for the remainder of his career, they should find a cheaper replacement and trade Bouchard in the offseason.

Oilers Trading Bouchard Might Cause Short-Term Issue, But Will Lead to Long-Term Success

The short-term issue with trading Bouchard is the need to find a puck-moving defender who can match his offensive production. He has proven himself to be one of, if not the most elite offensive-minded defender in the NHL, and he is someone the Oilers will need to replace. Fortunately, the long-term positive of them freeing up enough space to find a replacement while also being able to spend a bit more money to keep their depth strong outweighs that risk. There are a few players who might be able to match what Bouchard can do on the man advantage, and they could even take a chance on letting Nurse or Ekholm take the reins. 

Bouchard’s current cap hit of $3.9 million is reasonable for his offensive ability, but if he is looking to become the highest-paid member of the Oilers blue line, they need to get rid of him as quickly as possible. His inability to play defensive hockey is an issue that has caused problems for the Oilers and is something they can do without and would improve their lineup if they get rid of him. Improving their lineup while freeing up cap space to have the ability to lock up the best player in the NHL for the remainder of his career? Sign me up. 

No indications have been made that the Oilers are considering trading Bouchard, but it has to be on the table if he’s asking for a lot of money. The Colorado Avalanche recently traded Mikko Rantanen because of how far apart they were in contract negotiations and were able to get a solid package back. With that trade turning the league upside down, it wouldn’t be surprising if the Oilers at least tried to gauge the market for Bouchard, to see what they could get in return.