Evan Bouchard reveals thought process behind signing short-term, $42,000,000 Oilers contract extension

The Edmonton Oilers extended Evan Bouchard's stay in the city by four more years through the 2028-29 season to a $42 million contract. The 25-year-old has emerged as a prized asset on the blueline, especially because of his offensive prowess.

Bouchard saw a significant raise, from his $3.9 million annual salary, after his stellar performances in the last two years. In the 2023-24 season, he had 82 points. Even though his performance dropped slightly last season (67 points in the regular season), he set a career high of 23 points in 22 postseason games.

His $10.5 million annual average value ranks him above defenseman Darnell Nurse, who receives $9.25 million in salary. Bouchard, speaking during this first video conference after the extension, said the short-term contract fit him best.

"We kind of just decided four years is a good term for myself, good term for the Oilers, and yeah," he said.

While he put in some strong performances on the defense, the Oilers failed to clinch the Stanley Cup in their second attempt in two years.

"Definitely, that's the goal for myself and the organization and everybody else in the locker room is to win the Stanley Cup," Bouchard said. "A lot of teams say that, but I really do think the Oilers and myself, we have the pieces to do that. We've shown that in the last couple of years, we're just a fraction off and we just have to figure that out. We have the opportunity to get it done."

Evan Bouchard makes his feelings known about getting better at defense

Evan Bouchard rates high in a variety of scoring measures for defensemen, but his high turnover rate and failure to win puck battles have resulted in criticism. He had a team-high 128 giveaways this season, 69 of which came during 5v5 play. He also had only 31 hits this season at a 0.38 rate per game, one of the lowest on the club.

Speaking about it, Bouchard acknowledged the room for improvement.

“I think, definitely, that’s a big thing,” Bouchard said. “I think over the past season or two, I’ve really focused on the defensive side of things, especially later on in the season. Come playoff time, that’s the most important thing, is to keep the puck out of the net. So, I think my game is going to keep getting better, keep growing on both sides.

“For next season, the big thing for me is consistency. The highs can be high, but the games where you’re not feeling it so much, not having to be very low. So, I think consistency is going to be a big thing for me next season.”

It remains to be seen how Bouchard adapts under the pressure of the hefty contract attached to him now.