Evan Bouchard is in the prime of his career and might be primed for a record-setting contract.
The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun offered his view of the situation in a new article on Wednesday, and it looks good for both Bouchard and the Edmonton Oilers.
“Talks are underway on the Evan Bouchard front, and my sense is there’s a genuine mutual desire to get something done and avoid any drama,” LeBrun writes.
LeBrun goes on to project a four-year deal for the 25-year old, which would give Bouchard another big contract after the salary cap goes way up.
Bouchard is a restricted free agent, but the Oilers “hope to sign Bouchard before next week, when other teams can reach out to the restricted free agent.”
And then comes the big part: LeBrun compares the negotiations to Auston Matthews’ four-year, $53 million deal he signed with the Maple Leafs. The players have the same agency.
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Bouchard wouldn’t need $53 million over four years to set the annual average value record for a defenseman.
Erik Karlsson currently holds that mark at $11.5 million per year. So if the Oilers gave Bouchard $47 million across the four years, he’d be the new record holder.
Bouchard has lived up to the hype as the 10th overall pick in 2018 by Edmonton.
In 2024-25, he had 14 goals and 53 assists. In his career, the uber-talented D-man has 55 goals and 183 assists in 347 games.
There are plenty more points to come for Bouchard, who should soon have a big bag of money, too.
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