Can Evan Bouchard be the Edmonton Oilers’ Best Internally Developed Dman Since Paul Coffey?

Coming from an Edmonton Oilers point of view, BLH provides you with excerpts from the latest NHL news, rumors, and speculation from all of the internet’s best sites including Spector’s Hockey, The Fourth Period, NHL Trade Talk, The Hockey Writers, Sportsnet, The Athletic, TSN and more!

From The Daily Goal Horn

Fallout for Golden Knights

The biggest issue for the Golden Knights is in goal as both goalies are being paid starter salaries. Marc-Andre Fleury makes $7 million and Robin Lehner earns $5 million. If they can, moving Fleury should be a priority since he only has one year left and is 36 years of age. I for one believe there are a few teams he would waive his no move clause, one being his old Pittsburgh Penguins. The Golden Knights will need to eat 50% of that salary in order to facilitate a deal.

Another move they could then try and make is to bring in more scoring. A trade for Evgeny Kuznetsov would make sense as they need help down the middle. He is listed as available and comes at an easier cap hit ($7.8M) than Eichel ($10M).

BLH’s Thoughts: Could you imagine the shenanigans Evgeny Kuznetsov would get into if he were part of the Golden Knights organization? I love the idea but I hope they’ve got a clean-up crew on standby if they pull off that deal.

Sabres need to change stance in order to trade Jack Eichel

(Kevyn) Adams is going to have to do something if he intends on trading Eichel. Lower the ask, allow teams to speak with Eichel, or both.

He needs more teams in. Hell, he may even have to eat a million or two off the deal to get the package he’s looking for. Should that come to fruition, the Rangers and maybe others would circle back.

BLH’s Thoughts: An $8M Jack Eichel is a lot more palpable for the club acquiring him than a $10M one. I think It’s really going to depend on how desperate Buffalo is to move him with regards to where on the the trade return spectrum they finally land.

Golden Knights next up for Jack Eichel

Whenever a team is eliminated from the playoffs as a favorite, it raises questions. For the Golden Knights, their weakness at center was highlighted. Speculation started about Jack Eichel as soon the Canadiens ousted Vegas. With their owner Bill Foley known to be aggressive in pursuing top players, this one was an easy connection to make.

“I’d be surprised if the Golden Knights and the Sabres haven’t had a conversation regarding Eichel,” Dreger said on WGR550. “I can’t imagine they won’t explore this.”

Alex Tuch was mentioned as a “great get” for the Sabres if they could extract him as part of the package.

BLH’s Thoughts: Tuch, Cody Glass, Peyton Krebs, and their first rounder this year would satisfy Kevyn Adams’ requirements, would it not? Vegas would still need to relieve itself of some cash elsewhere in the lineup but they’d have their no.1 center.

Sabres trade demands for Eichel

Back in March, Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports provided some insight to the Sabres ask on Eichel. On Sportsnet’s Writers Bloc he began by noting that Jack Eichel is very close to ownership and it isn’t a given they will even want to move him. However if they do the price is steep.

“They are not sure if they are going to trade him or not,” Lavoie began. “If they trade him they want four pieces that are first round picks. Or players that are playing if not in the NHL or elsewhere like the NCAA – that were first round picks and are having success and not struggling.”

BLH’s Thoughts: Adams’ mistake was letting the world know what he wants before seeing what Eichel’s market value is. You never give your number first…

I think another thing worth pointing out is there are rumors that the Pegulas want to sell the club and I’m wondering how that could potentially impact this supposed relationship between Eichel and his bosses

From The Athletic

Lowetide: Why Oilers defenceman Evan Bouchard is poised to exceed expectations

As we approach the 2021-22 season, Bouchard is poised to complete the fast-tracked-distant-bell-overnight-sensation trifecta. Is it possible to be a famous prospect and an underrated player? Bouchard appears to be both as his first full season in the everyday lineup looms.

Bouchard is a massive talent with the puck on his stick, last season he hit 1.27 points per 60 at five-on-five, 6.11 points per 60 on the power play. He didn’t play enough to make those boxcar numbers sing, but we are looking at a player who could deliver an eye-popping point total in 2021-22 if deployed correctly.

If he gets 15-plus minutes a night and plays 82 games next season, a reasonable estimate of his point total is 35 points. If he gets more playing time, especially on the power play, we could see Bouchard push past 40 points in his first full NHL season.

This is the most substantial puck-moving defenceman to be drafted by Edmonton since Paul Coffey.

BLH’s Thoughts: Woof! No pressure Evan. I’m kidding! However, the Oilers may very well have an organically grown 60pt defenseman here and one day we might all be looking back at the 2020-21 season and thanking Dave Tippett for holding him back that extra year.

As for next season, how Ken Holland addresses his group on defense could directly affect Bouchard’s development at the NHL level. There’s talk Tyson Barrie could return and if that didn’t come to fruition, Ethan Bear would still be on the club, but in the event that he struggles, can Bouchard handle being elevated up the depth chart in his first real NHL year?

I hope for the sanity of some pundits in town and segments of the fanbase in Edmonton that Ken Holland’s plan for Bouchard is to give him his rightful spot on the Oilers’ defense and let others try to take his spot as opposed to the other way around.

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