Evan Bouchard is Due For a Raise That The Oilers Cannot Afford Right Now

The Edmonton Oilers have made it to the post-season again and are in a battle with the Los Angeles Kings. They need all hands on deck and with the addition of Mattias Ekholm, Evan Bouchard can continue to grow.

However, this presents a quandary for Ken Holland, as the young defenseman will be an RFA at the end of the season and will be due a qualifying offer, which is expected to be quite large as Bouchard has worked his way up a lot, and will be due for a big pay day.


With how well Bouchard has been playing with partner Mattias Ekholm you can see that Bouchard has been a contributor on the blue line and powerplay. This is his 2nd 40-point season as well.


According to DailyFaceoff's Frank Seravalli, the Oilers may want to bridge Bouchard given their salary cap restraints. The possible AAV could be $3.5-$4.5 Million for the deal.

If Bouchard would refuse the bridge deal and negotiations tank, we might see a trade, but given the Edmonton Oilers winning culture lately, does it make sense for him to leave? Assumptions are he would continue to play with Ekholm as well should he return.

There's always the chance of an offer sheet, but those seem to be rarities nowadays unless you're the Carolina Hurricanes or Montreal Canadiens.