Ex-NHLer drops spicy take on Evan Bouchard's $42M extension with Oilers - "He's eating up ton of salary"

Edmonton Oilers defenseman Evan Bouchard will start the next season on a new four-year, $42 million contract signed with the Oilers, who lost their second consecutive Stanley Cup finals. The deal carries an average annual value of $10.5 million.

Former NHL defenseman James Wisniewski shared his thoughts on Bouchard’s new contract during episode No. 217 of the Empty Netters podcast.

"I don't think the Bouchard at 10 and a half million dollars is the right play," Wisniewski said. "Yeah, if you want to fu**ing win, that is not the guy that you're going to sign to go to the next level. He's eating up a ton of salary."

Wisniewski believes that amount limits the Oilers’ salary cap flexibility, since they have two big stars, Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, signed on massive contracts. McDavid is also awaiting an extension with a big raise, being in the last year of his contract.

Wisniewski called Bouchard a good offensive defenseman but suggested signing a cheaper power-play defenseman and using the rest for a shutdown player.

"You have Draisaitl and McDavid, and I'm not taking credit away from him by being like, a really good offensive defenseman," Wisniewski said. "But he's eating up 10 and a half million of your salary, where you could have a legit if you needed.

"Like, I need a power play dude, but he's not that good. Other than that, find a $5 million Power Play guy, and then you have five and a half million for a shutdown guy. Now you got to be Yeah, ... two for price of one."

The 25-year-old scored 67 points in 82 regular-season games last season. He added 23 points in 22 playoff games.

Evan Bouchard’s slap shot was helpful for Oilers in playoffs

In June, Evan Bouchard’s slap shot became a key part of the Oilers’ run in the Stanley Cup Final. The defenseman doesn’t remember when people first started noticing it.

“I don’t know, I started working on it when I was young … it was above average,” he said, via NHL.com.

Now, it’s one of the strongest in the NHL. Bouchard leads all defensemen in playoff points since 2021 and says he focuses more on accuracy than power.

“You’ve got to work on really all aspects of it.” Bouchard said.

In the playoffs, Bouchard has 81 points in 75 games. His points-per-game rate in the playoffs ranks second all-time among defensemen behind Bobby Orr.