Edmonton Oilers' defenseman named among Franchise Players of NHL
Photo credit: USA Today Sports
According to a panel of hockey writers from The Athletic Oilers' defenseman Evan Bouchard was rated a 'Franchise Player', and ranked as the 24th best player in the NHL, regardless of position.
For perspective, the panel used the following definition for its selections: A franchise player is «a top 30 player. Someone who is the best player on a contending team, or second best on a championship-caliber team. An unquestionably elite player.
Edmonton Oilers only NHL team with 3 players in the top 25 of league's best
To give validity to the best-player ranking, The Athletic applied a painstaking process of statistical analysis to arrive at a baseline list
Using this baseline, they then ranked teams using 20 NHL insiders (GMs, execs, coaches, scouts, data analysts and former players) and adjusted it accordingly.
Incidentally, Edmonton's Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl were rated the NHL's best and second-best players, and with Evan Bouchard in the top-25, makes it the only team to include three players.
According to the hockey writers, the process of rating Evan Bouchard was not an easy one.
"Rating Bouchard is complicated. Few players sparked more discussion, which is understandable given the chasm between Bouchard's dizzying highs and disappointing lows. You're either a Bouchard guy or not a Bouchard guy - there is no room for indifference. The case against him is not without merit. No defenseman in the top two tiers is more prone to The Big Mistake, with one executive labelling them as «catastrophic.» He's not for the faint of heart."
Yet, though Bouchard has been criticized for his defensive deficiencies, they have not impacted the games in which he's played, in terms of goals-against, and has managed to out-perform his mistakes, so to speak.
"Bouchard, for what it's worth, has the same impact on goals against over the last two years as Makar. As big as Bouchard's slip-ups can feel in the moment, the Oilers don't feel them on the scoresheet to the degree they're discussed. It also doesn't seem that Bouchard gets the credit others do for elevating his game in the postseason. His big plays often outweigh his big mistakes.
Bouchard and the Oilers have received much criticism because of the defenseman's 4-year, $10.5M AAV contract, which many view as being inflated. Yet, Evan continues to be ranked among the NHL's best D-man, which suggests his salary is commensurate with his play.
Analyst Jeff O'Neill praised Bouchard for his play in last year's playoffs:
Bouchard and the Oilers have received much criticism because of the defenseman's 4-year, $10.5M AAV contract, which many view as being inflated. Yet, Evan continues to be ranked among the NHL's best D-man, which suggests his salary is commensurate with his play.
Analyst Jeff O'Neill praised Bouchard for his play in last year's playoffs:
«I think the pecking order on 'D' in the National Hockey League is one, Cale Makar, and two, Bouchard...I think he's that good man. I think he is unbelievable I've fallen in love with the guy, man.»
He's not alone it would seem; Bouchard's game is easy to like.
| POLL | ||
SEPTEMBRE 12 | 529 ANSWERS Edmonton Oilers' defenseman named among Franchise Players of NHL Do you agree Evan Bouchard is a 'Franchise Player'? | ||
| yes | 221 | 41.8 % |
| no | 308 | 58.2 % |
| List of polls | ||
TRENDING NOW
