Oiler's Evan Bouchard and agent adamant about key contract detail, despite GM's reluctance to sign
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Oilers stud defenseman and agent Dave Ganger settled on a 4-year contract worth $42M, instead of the 8-year term that GM Stan Bowman would have preferred.
It's great news that the Oilers star blueliner has been extended, but plenty of fans wanted to see him locked up to an 8 year deal. Judging by Stan Bowman's comments, that was never even an option.
Bouchard salary ask on 8 year contract was so high it made no sense
GM Stan Bowman addressed the media after signing Bouchard to the extension, and revealed that even his agent knew an 8 year deal was implausible given Bouchard's salary worth.
"The agent [Dave Gagner] indicated that never really made sense to him (an 8-year term)...It wouldn't make sense to anybody. It was never in the cards," Mark Spector said in a social media post.
When a team is blessed with a generational d-man on their roster, it is the GM's priority to lock-in the player for as long as possible. In Evan Bouchard's case, that would have been a maximum of 8-years, effectively guaranteeing his services with the Oilers until the age of 33, when in most cases, a player's quality declines.
Except, Bouchard and his team were adamant about the 4-year term. In an era where the cap will increase by $25.5M over the next three years, this allows Bouchard to renegotiate in four years time for another sizeable raise, when he becomes UFA-eligible at the age of 29.
The 4-year term is far from ideal for the Edmonton Oilers, however, who would have been able to net surplus value if Bouchard's $10.5M was locked-in long-term.
According to Dom Luszczyszyn's model, Evan Bouchard's market value is $15.7M. Nevertheless, the 4-year term allows the Oilers some flexibility; it's a term that is pivotal for the Oilers' outlook with respect to Connor McDavid's and Leon Draisaital's window for winning a Stanley Cup.
It seems then, that the 4-years and $10.5M was a win for the Oilers. Evan Bouchard scored 14 goals and 53 assists in 82 games played this past season, adding 7 goals and 16 assists in 22 playoff games. Over his career, Bouchard has recorded 20 goals and 61 assists in 75 playoff games, good for 1.08 ppg.
The 1.08 points per game ties Evan for 2nd all-time among defenseman in the playoffs, second only to Bobby Orr (1.24). Evan Bouchard's upside is incomparable to any current player; he is essentially in a category of his own, given his age, stats, and upside.
"He's incredibly important to the group," Connor McDavid said of Evan Bouchard during his post-playoffs availability. "Definitely a deal that needs to be done and one that is really important for us."
According to Connor McDavid, Evan Bouchard is a big part of the solution in Edmonton, and having him signed for four more year, will ultimately help toward Connor resigning with the Oilers.
| POLL | ||
JUILLET 3 | 594 ANSWERS Oiler's Evan Bouchard and agent adamant about key contract detail, despite GM's reluctance to sign Are you happy with the 4 year deal? Or should the Oilers have paid more and secured Bouchard for 8 years? | ||
| 4 years | 507 | 85.4 % |
| 8 years | 87 | 14.6 % |
| List of polls | ||
