Prospect Info: 2018 Draft: 1st pick: Evan Bouchard (D) - Sent back to London (11/02/18)

[Mcnotloilersfan]

Are you going to cry?

Some people. Any criticism whatsoever is simply reduced to negativity. We all know those people who have "Live, Love, Laugh" written above their pantry door, who are just a critical comment away from a total nervous breakdown. Don't be that person.

His response didn't strike me as being out proportion

To be frank, I'm not sure it's him that has trouble dealing with opposing viewpoints in the context of this conversation.

Yeah sorry soothsayer I think it was a valid response too. This reminds me of the misused 'snowflake' term thrown around as a lazy attack when there is no retort. Don't be THAT person.

Dobson was a hell a player to pass on sure, so was Wahlstrom. But Bouchard was the gamble that we needed to take. He had the skillset that we strongly need on this team.

 

[Tobias Kahun]

Yeah sorry soothsayer I think it was a valid response too. This reminds me of the misused 'snowflake' term thrown around as a lazy attack when there is no retort. Don't be THAT person.

Dobson was a hell a player to pass on sure, so was Wahlstrom. But Bouchard was the gamble that we needed to take. He had the skillset that we strongly need on this team.

The real question is why are we deciding that it was a bad idea to pass after a couple of meaningless games in the summer.

Could it end up being bad? Absolutely, but you can’t get that just from some summer games.

 

[Joey Moss]

There is a possibility Brady Tkachuk ends up in London this season.. with Bouchard and Boqvist. What an OHL team that would be.

 

[McDNicks17]

The Knights just traded for Matthew Timms. I'd guess he'll end up as Bouchard's partner.

20 year old, left-handed defenseman, one of the best offensive defensemen in the OHL.

Their D core is stacked now.

 

[Gordian Knot]

The Knights just traded for Matthew Timms. I'd guess he'll end up as Bouchard's partner.

20 year old, left-handed defenseman, one of the best offensive defensemen in the OHL.

Their D core is stacked now.

Bouchard’s partner? You mean he is not going to slot first pair with Klefbom?

 

[Mcnotloilersfan]

There is a possibility Brady Tkachuk ends up in London this season.. with Bouchard and Boqvist. What an OHL team that would be.

I'll be furious. Niagara Ice Dogs have been around since 2007. They're the favourites to win the Eastern Conference for the 3rd time in their young history. The last 2 times, they have lost to the cheating London Knights, and it looks all too inevitable again.

I still can't believe the 2012 team couldnt get it done. Mark Visentin in net. Dougie Hamilton, Jamie Oleksiak, Jesse Graham and Brock Beukeboom on D. Ryan Strome, Brett Ritchie, Tom Kuhnackle, Freddie Hamilton, Alex Friesen, Andrew Aggozino, David Pacan, Stephen Shipley, Carter Verheaghe, Mitch Theoret up front. The only forward that I just listed that wasn't an NHL draft pick was the captain and he scored 40 goals that year.

Sorry... got distracted

 

[Kolja]

 

[CycloneSweep]

I'll be furious. Niagara Ice Dogs have been around since 2007. They're the favourites to win the Eastern Conference for the 3rd time in their young history. The last 2 times, they have lost to the cheating London Knights, and it looks all too inevitable again.

I still can't believe the 2012 team couldnt get it done. Mark Visentin in net. Dougie Hamilton, Jamie Oleksiak, Jesse Graham and Brock Beukeboom on D. Ryan Strome, Brett Ritchie, Tom Kuhnackle, Freddie Hamilton, Alex Friesen, Andrew Aggozino, David Pacan, Stephen Shipley, Carter Verheaghe, Mitch Theoret up front. The only forward that I just listed that wasn't an NHL draft pick was the captain and he scored 40 goals that year.

Sorry... got distracted

The London Knights are cheaters?

 

[Cloned]

The London Knights are cheaters?

There have been some controversies surrounding their player recruitment, similar to the Portland Winterhawks.

 

[bobbythebrain]

The kids clapper is absolutely filthy.

 

[Tobias Kahun]

There have been some controversies surrounding their player recruitment, similar to the Portland Winterhawks.

You able to elaborate on what they might be doing, I don’t follow th CHL that much

 

[Cloned]

You able to elaborate on what they might be doing, I don’t follow th CHL that much

They do supposedly shady stuff with backroom deals and under the table money to attract top prospects, especially college players. There are also rumours that they poison the draft, making it so other teams shy away from certain prospects because they make it known they will only play for the Knights.

None of this is confirmed, however.

 

[bobbythebrain]

They do supposedly shady stuff with backroom deals and under the table money to attract top prospects, especially college players. There are also rumours that they poison the draft, making it so other teams shy away from certain prospects because they make it known they will only play for the Knights.

None of this is confirmed, however.

 

[Mcnotloilersfan]

They do supposedly shady stuff with backroom deals and under the table money to attract top prospects, especially college players. There are also rumours that they poison the draft, making it so other teams shy away from certain prospects because they make it known they will only play for the Knights.

None of this is confirmed, however.

There was a lot of anger around the league when Windsor got busted for this to win their back to back Memorial Cups and had to give up draft picks for it. The league would never do anything to hurt London through. They're the Maple Leafs of the OHL (although they actually win championships). London brings in too much money to be punished.

But yeah, you'll see it all the time in the draft. Nobody takes this great prospect because his agent tells every team but London that his prospect is going to go to NCAA. Then the prospect gets drafted by London in a later round, and they report to them. The same thing happens with the Import Draft. Liljegren was going to go to London, Niagara had enough of this crap... so they wasted their import pick on him just to be sure London didn't get him.

There are other rumours like Gagner and Kane getting to take a private jet to long distance games

 

[Blue Line Turnover]

Get him 9 games with nurse and sekera and see how she blows.

Well, she definitely blows

 

[BoldNewLettuce]

Well, she definitely blows

Lol. Yup...

 

[780il]

 

[Aerchon]

I think most people seen that the moment he was drafted.

His defense looked great prejets game. He was flat out terrible against the Jets. Don't even see him getting 5 games with how bad he was defensively.

Under the circumstances tho. No Sekera. He obviously should get a few games.

 

[Mr Positive]

As much as that is an upbeat post about Bouchard, it is an indictment of the Oilers' current defense. I still don't buy that Bouchard really is ready, but I do buy that the Oilers are so starved for his skills that they'd keep him up.

 

[Tyrolean]

Yeah sorry soothsayer I think it was a valid response too. This reminds me of the misused 'snowflake' term thrown around as a lazy attack when there is no retort. Don't be THAT person.

Dobson was a hell a player to pass on sure, so was Wahlstrom. But Bouchard was the gamble that we needed to take. He had the skillset that we strongly need on this team.

I would always take the BPA in any case.

 

[LTIR]

I would always take the BPA in any case.

What makes you think Bouchard wasn't the BPA?
Did CBJ take the BPA when they passed on Pulju for Dubois?

 

[Bryanbryoil]

Looking forward to seeing how he does against the Jets big boys. Scheifele, Wheeler, Ehlers and Laine are all tough match-ups for defenders.

 

[Bryanbryoil]

What makes you think Bouchard wasn't the BPA?
Did CBJ take the BPA when they passed on Pulju for Dubois?

BPA is always suggestive unless you take one of Mckenzie's, ISS', etc. lists as gospel.

 

[Aerchon]

I would always take the BPA in any case.

Not sure if you are saying he was the BPA or not.

Bouchard imo was the BPA as well as the Oilers biggest need. I heard they were planning on moving up to take him.

Dob and Wahl are great prospects but Bouchard is at least a small step up imo. His season and his play were special last year. I still can't believe we got him. The stars aligned for him to drop to us. The teams ahead off the board to draft flavour of the year small skilled guys or teams desperate for centers drafted purely on posirional need.

Bouchard is not the type of defender I typically like but his last season and skillset is just so impressive. Not that I am draft guru but since I started following the draft this year was the first year I felt the Oilers knocked it out of the park. Bouchard, McLeod, and Rodrigue are all very fine picks. Hindsight may show them as mistakes but at the time there was nothing on the board that made me think they "might" have made a high risk low reward gamble.

I still remember seeing Jenner on the board and yelling at the TV when the Oilers took Musil.

Edit: Also want to comment on his play so far.

His play until last game was practically flawless at both ends of the ice. Lower quality of competition. This last game he was a good puck mover but terrible, bloody terrible, in his own end. A lot of preseason left but right now as bad as he was defensively I cant help but give him far more leeway than I normally would. He has just been so impressive overall. He absolutely fills a need on the team. Its very unfortunate he has to go back to junior. His skill level is wasted in that league.

Play him in at least a couple nhl games. Sheltered role with some PP time. If he sinks defensively without offsetting it with his puck movement send him back to junior and then get Bear on the team to fill that role.

 

[nabob]

BPA is always suggestive unless you take one of Mckenzie's, ISS', etc. lists as gospel.

Especially when at 11 you’re comparing two Dmen who were ranked in the top 6 still being a available.

This also means that a whole bunch of teams don’t really believe in BPA past the top 2-3 draft spots.