D Evan Bouchard - London Knights, OHL (2018, 10th, EDM)

[Junohockeyfan]

If you lack skating and defensive awareness you will be a below average NHL dman. Bouchard Will have to work in the deficiencies.

 

[780il]

Up to 2 goals and 7 points in 2 playoff games

 

[MinimaMoralia]

Good young player. Strange year for him, but kept pace with his contemporaries and draft placement, only exceeded by Boqvist, Wilde and Dahlin in my opinion. Has brought up his skating pace, still shows up in big games, getting a bit chippier, probably not a number one, but you really can’t knock his performance all that much. He’ll be good for Edmonton. I always think of Ed Jovanovski.

 

[DownGoesMcDavid]

Good young player. Strange year for him, but kept pace with his contemporaries and draft placement, only exceeded by Boqvist, Wilde and Dahlin in my opinion. Has brought up his skating pace, still shows up in big games, getting a bit chippier, probably not a number one, but you really can’t knock his performance all that much. He’ll be good for Edmonton. I always think of Ed Jovanovski.

Jovo Cop is probably the last player I'd compare Bouchard too.

Jovo was a phenomenal skater and had grit and sand paper in his game.

Jeff Petry is who I'd probably compare Bouhchard too. Petry a bit better skater and Bouchard better vision but lots of similarities in their game

 

[GhostfaceWu]

Petry was never as good offensively as Bouchard is at the same age.

 

[snipes]

Jovo Cop is probably the last player I'd compare Bouchard too.

Jovo was a phenomenal skater and had grit and sand paper in his game.

Jeff Petry is who I'd probably compare Bouhchard too. Petry a bit better skater and Bouchard better vision but lots of similarities in their game

Petry’s offensive game was nowhere near Bouchard’s at the same age.

 

[MinimaMoralia]

Jovo Cop is probably the last player I'd compare Bouchard too.

Jovo was a phenomenal skater and had grit and sand paper in his game.

Jeff Petry is who I'd probably compare Bouhchard too. Petry a bit better skater and Bouchard better vision but lots of similarities in their game

You are right, I was incorrect in Jovo, I was thinking of Yandle but had a brainfart.
And yeahh, probably Yandle does have the edge in skating, but it won’t be as wide a gap as some might think.

 

[TheGoldenJet]

Good young player. Strange year for him, but kept pace with his contemporaries and draft placement, only exceeded by Boqvist, Wilde and Dahlin in my opinion. Has brought up his skating pace, still shows up in big games, getting a bit chippier, probably not a number one, but you really can’t knock his performance all that much. He’ll be good for Edmonton. I always think of Ed Jovanovski.

He had a better regular season points-per-game than Boqvist, and is head and shoulders above him in the playoffs so far.

I see Boqvist as a guy who’s lost some shine since last June.

 

[HOPE]

Jovo Cop is probably the last player I'd compare Bouchard too.

Jovo was a phenomenal skater and had grit and sand paper in his game.

Jeff Petry is who I'd probably compare Bouhchard too. Petry a bit better skater and Bouchard better vision but lots of similarities in their game

Lol how are they comparable?!? Petry is a fantastic fluid skater... bouchard, not so much.

 

[MinimaMoralia]

He had a better regular season points-per-game than Boqvist, and is head and shoulders above him in the playoffs so far.

I see Boqvist as a guy who’s lost some shine since last June.

That’s fair! I just was reflecting on Boqvists bounce back from injuries whilst relatively seamlessly adjusting to another league into the whole thing

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Bouchard has low end #1 upside. In the sense that John Carlson types are low end #1s.

Sammy is very underrated. He's a long shot to reach his full potential but he has all the tools to be a Orlov type #2.

I don't think Samorukov has the hockey IQ and puck movement, like Orlov. He skates well, defends well and has a good shot, but the finesse part of the game is missing.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

He had a better regular season points-per-game than Boqvist, and is head and shoulders above him in the playoffs so far.

I see Boqvist as a guy who’s lost some shine since last June.

I see a lot of problems in the comparison you are trying to make. What did you think of Boqvist's WJC? He's also in his first season on NA ice on a stacked team where his minutes are limited compared to some other star CHL defensemen. I think he's had a good season.

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

TBH I've been really underwhelmed by Boqvist when ever I've watched him this year.

 

[Starry Knight]

I see a lot of problems in the comparison you are trying to make. What did you think of Boqvist's WJC? He's also in his first season on NA ice on a stacked team where his minutes are limited compared to some other star CHL defensemen. I think he's had a good season.

Boqvist has had first-unit powerplay minutes all year. He hasn't lacked opportunity this year offensively and any limit to his overall time-on-ice has been a function of Dale Hunter not trusting him completely offensively.

And with regards to both Boqvist and Bouchard, their play in the regular season left a lot to be desired, but they've stepped up so far in the playoffs. Their intensity on both sides of the puck has dramatically increased and they're looking like the game-breaking talents that they are finally.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Boqvist has had first-unit powerplay minutes all year. He hasn't lacked opportunity this year offensively and any limit to his overall time-on-ice has been a function of Dale Hunter not trusting him completely offensively.

Why wouldn't he play first unit PP? A junior hockey team that didn't use him on their first PP would be dumb.

He hasn't lacked opportunity, but London has a lot of depth on defense. If he played for a team that didn't have potentially 4-5 NHL defensemen on their team, he might play more minutes. I don't think he needs to play more to develop better, but if someone is going to use his statistical production against him, they should consider that his stats are hurt by not playing as much as some other defensemen in the CHL and on his own team.

 

[Starry Knight]

Why wouldn't he play first unit PP? A junior hockey team that didn't use him on their first PP would be dumb.

He hasn't lacked opportunity, but London has a lot of depth on defense. If he played for a team that didn't have potentially 4-5 NHL defensemen on their team, he might play more minutes. I don't think he needs to play more to develop better, but if someone is going to use his statistical production against him, they should consider that his stats are hurt by not playing as much as some other defensemen in the CHL and on his own team.

I mean, the comparison that was made was to Bouchard, and they have had very similar deployment.

Bouchard is a year ahead in development and it wasn't his first year in NA like Boqvist, so Boqvist has that going for him in the comparison. Bouchard was better defensively as a 17-year-old than Boqvist was this year as an 18-year-old, however.

 

[Newsworthy]

I think most Oilers fans would be thrilled with a Top 3 dman that can be a #1 PP quarterback.
It's where I hope he falls into.

That seems pretty obtainable. The kid is killing it when the games count the most. Not every player is a World Class skater.

 

[ConnorMcMullet]

I don't think Samorukov has the hockey IQ and puck movement, like Orlov. He skates well, defends well and has a good shot, but the finesse part of the game is missing.

Is Josh Manson a better comparison? He's someone I've used before.

 

[Llamamoto]

Lol how are they comparable?!? Petry is a fantastic fluid skater... bouchard, not so much.

Bouchard's shot, passing, and IQ are all way better than Petry's.

 

[Tobias Kahun]

Bouchard's shot, passing, and IQ are all way better than Petry's.

The only thing Petry did better at Bouchard age was skate.

 

[cheechoo]

Peak Bouchard is Prime Dennis Wideman, and Samorukov doesn't really look all the impressive to me from when i've seen him. Not an A or B tier defensive prospect. If everything goes right for him he'll be a passible #6 in 3 or 4 years. Hopefully by then the Oilers defense has been revamped or another up and coming defensemans menial contributions will be wasted, again (until he's set free on another team).

 

[Tobias Kahun]

Peak Bouchard is Prime Dennis Wideman, and Samorukov doesn't really look all the impressive to me from when i've seen him. Not an A or B tier defensive prospect. If everything goes right for him he'll be a passible #6 in 3 or 4 years. Hopefully by then the Oilers defense has been revamped or another up and coming defensemans menial contributions will be wasted, again (until he's set free on another team).

Not an A or B tier defensive prospect, at least everyone knows not to take your opinion serious.

 

[cheechoo]

Not an A or B tier defensive prospect, at least everyone knows not to take your opinion serious.

.76ppg would be pretty good for a draft season statline. d+1? meh

 

[Tobias Kahun]

.76ppg would be pretty good for a draft season statline. d+1? meh

He’s easily a b quality D prospect.

His offence has picked up since the WJC when he got a partner capable of playing defence aswell.

 

[780il]

He’s easily a b quality D prospect.

His offence has picked up since the WJC when he got a partner capable of playing defence aswell.

Merkley was really bringing him down. After the WJ's Samurukovs been a force.