Player Discussion Evan Bouchard: One for the Money, Two for the Bouch

Mr Positive

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Nov 20, 2013
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I didn't see an issue in his skating TBH but his recent injury history has been pretty rough and obviously he barely suited up for us. I think that he could be a good mentor for Bouchard much like Oates was for Horcoff and Stoll back in the day.
I agree completely. He looked pretty good, and it should be noted that his injury was very minor, so it was hardly an example of how injury prone he supposedly is.

There is some point that perhaps it still would have been better to just go with Benning on RHD, and even put priority on keeping guys like Jones and Russell on the team. Also, that we didn't really need a PP option with Klef back and us wanting to try Bear a bit more.

However, I think making room for Green would pay off. He's a great puck mover and a smart player. We could use a skilled veteran. It just feels like what the group needed. Our veterans are two way types, and we have a lot of young players who could see how to play like an offensive D
 

SupremeTeam16

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May 31, 2013
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Looking at Holland’s history, we will not head into next season with Lagesson and Bouchard pencilled in to a top 6 spot nor will he let them sit as a 7th. He will go forward with Russell and Benning as 5/6 and Jones at 7. However reality says he can’t afford Russell so he will move him. Lagesson will be signed and hopefully clears to Bakersfield. An offer <$2M will be given to Green. If he wants to remain in Alberta he will be a 6-7 mentor. Benning will be qualified signed and traded if Green stays. Bouchard will get the Bear “show me” treatment. Starts in Bako unless he steals Bear Jones or Greens job or injuries occur. Pray Russell and Benning along with Puljujarvi bring forward help up front and add draft picks

This would basically be my strategy as well. It'll be interesting to see what happens with the cap because of the shortened season. Depending on what happens it may make it more difficult to move Russell.
 

Hynh

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Jun 19, 2012
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Looking at Holland’s history, we will not head into next season with Lagesson and Bouchard pencilled in to a top 6 spot nor will he let them sit as a 7th. He will go forward with Russell and Benning as 5/6 and Jones at 7. However reality says he can’t afford Russell so he will move him. Lagesson will be signed and hopefully clears to Bakersfield. An offer <$2M will be given to Green. If he wants to remain in Alberta he will be a 6-7 mentor. Benning will be qualified signed and traded if Green stays. Bouchard will get the Bear “show me” treatment. Starts in Bako unless he steals Bear Jones or Greens job or injuries occur. Pray Russell and Benning along with Puljujarvi bring forward help up front and add draft picks
Moving Russell is wishful thinking with his M-NTC/NMC

Nurse-Bear
Klefbom-Larsson
Jones-Benning
Russell

Bouchard is first call up for RHD
 
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Mr Positive

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One thing in our favor in moving Russell is that his cap hit is 4 million but his actual salary is only 1.5. Granted we might still have to sweeten the pot, but it's doable for teams on a budget.

Plus, of course the league might give teams cap relief so it might not be as hard to move him as it seems now. Maybe it will even make sense to keep him for depth.
 

McGoMcD

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The thing about Bouchard is his downside is a guy like Mike Green. Someone who can rack up pp points but only play 16 mins a night or so. His upside, well, dam good.
 

CycloneSweep

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The thing about Bouchard is his downside is a guy like Mike Green. Someone who can rack up pp points but only play 16 mins a night or so. His upside, well, dam good.
If Bouchard is even half of Prime Green that's a win.
 

yukoner88

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Dec 16, 2009
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Moving Russell is wishful thinking with his M-NTC/NMC

Nurse-Bear
Klefbom-Larsson
Jones-Benning
Russell

Bouchard is first call up for RHD

Russell's m-ntc is for 15 teams. That leaves Holland with 16 teams to chat with. If the intent is to move his caphit, it wont be all that difficult
 

KMart27

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Jun 9, 2013
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If Bouchard is even half of Prime Green that's a win.

I took that as current Mike Green. As in 2020-2021 Evan Bouchard's downside is 2020-2021 Mike Green. That was from weeks ago though and never clarified so maybe not.
 

Bryanbryoil

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I took that as current Mike Green. As in 2020-2021 Evan Bouchard's downside is 2020-2021 Mike Green. That was from weeks ago though and never clarified so maybe not.

Prime Mike Green = the Mike Green that scored 20-30 goals a season for Washington.
 

The Moose is Loose

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I know this seems ambitious but I'd rather see one of Bouchard/Jones in a top 4 role rather than have them both on the bottom pair. That's asking for trouble to have 2 rookie defensemen on 1 pair.

Klefbom-Bear
Nurse-Bouchard
Jones-Larsson
Green

Have Klefbom-Bear eat the brutal minutes against the top level competition. Big ask for a young defenseman but Bear proved himself this past season.

Bouchard making some mistakes but having a veteran guy like Nurse mentoring him on his pairing would be more beneficial than for him to be with another "rookie' in Jones on the bottom pairing. He was a top 10 pick for a reason, and I think he can rise to the occasion. He learns very quickly (as evidenced by his 2nd half of the AHL season being much much better than his 1st half).
Larsson can mentor Jones on the bottom pairing.

I like Green in the #7 role because from the bench and during practice he can be giving Bear, Bouchard and Jones offensive tips. In terms of his on ice impact I think its pretty insequential who is in the #7 role out of Benning/Green/Russel.
I'd also like to see one of Bear or Bouchard on the 2nd PP. It'd be a waste to put an aging Green there when he is not part of the long term plans whereas one of Bear/Bouchard is the heir to the #1 PP dman spot. Plus I think they'd be just as good if not better as Green would be currently (despite Green once being a PP powerhouse)
 

Tobias Kahun

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Oct 3, 2017
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I know this seems ambitious but I'd rather see one of Bouchard/Jones in a top 4 role rather than have them both on the bottom pair. That's asking for trouble to have 2 rookie defensemen on 1 pair.

Klefbom-Bear
Nurse-Bouchard
Jones-Larsson
Green

Have Klefbom-Bear eat the brutal minutes against the top level competition. Big ask for a young defenseman but Bear proved himself this past season.

Bouchard making some mistakes but having a veteran guy like Nurse mentoring him on his pairing would be more beneficial than for him to be with another "rookie' in Jones on the bottom pairing. He was a top 10 pick for a reason, and I think he can rise to the occasion. He learns very quickly (as evidenced by his 2nd half of the AHL season being much much better than his 1st half).
Larsson can mentor Jones on the bottom pairing.

I like Green in the #7 role because from the bench and during practice he can be giving Bear, Bouchard and Jones offensive tips. In terms of his on ice impact I think its pretty insequential who is in the #7 role out of Benning/Green/Russel.
I'd also like to see one of Bear or Bouchard on the 2nd PP. It'd be a waste to put an aging Green there when he is not part of the long term plans whereas one of Bear/Bouchard is the heir to the #1 PP dman spot. Plus I think they'd be just as good if not better as Green would be currently (despite Green once being a PP powerhouse)
I actually think that could work out really well.

Nurse plays better when he has someone who can move the puck for him, and Bouchard can do that really well.

Jones - Larsson would be a good option for a bottom pair aswell, although Larsson was rounding back into form and turning back into a beast before the league suspended the season.
 

CycloneSweep

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Not sure if this has been posted, but here’s a good highlight package from this year.

His offensive instincts and shot are off the charts.

His offense looks as good as ever.
It'll be interesting to see the Dobson vs Bouchard debate moving forward. Dobson was a full time NHLer this year and looked pretty decent, although low offense. Can't judge till they are both in the show however.

For Bouchard he still has to work on his skating and getting his shot away faster. Almost all the shots in the highlight video he takes the pass, dusts it off, aims and shoots. He isn't going to have the time to that at the NHL level often.
 
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walktheboulavard

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His offense looks as good as ever.
It'll be interesting to see the Dobson vs Bouchard debate moving forward. Dobson was a full time NHLer this year and looked pretty decent, although low offense. Can't judge till they are both in the show however.

For Bouchard he still has to work on his skating and getting his shot away faster. Almost all the shots in the highlight video he takes the pass, dusts it off, aims and shoots. He isn't going to have the time to that at the NHL level often.
In the highlights, the shots he dusts off, aims and selects his targets, are the usually on the power play. If he gets opportunity on the top PP here, he's going to have 2 days to get that shot off.
 

Llamamoto

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His offense looks as good as ever.
It'll be interesting to see the Dobson vs Bouchard debate moving forward. Dobson was a full time NHLer this year and looked pretty decent, although low offense. Can't judge till they are both in the show however.

For Bouchard he still has to work on his skating and getting his shot away faster. Almost all the shots in the highlight video he takes the pass, dusts it off, aims and shoots. He isn't going to have the time to that at the NHL level often.

His shot release actually seems pretty fast. He takes time to set up his shot and choose an angle, but the release itself is fast.
 

Tobias Kahun

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His offense looks as good as ever.
It'll be interesting to see the Dobson vs Bouchard debate moving forward. Dobson was a full time NHLer this year and looked pretty decent, although low offense. Can't judge till they are both in the show however.

For Bouchard he still has to work on his skating and getting his shot away faster. Almost all the shots in the highlight video he takes the pass, dusts it off, aims and shoots. He isn't going to have the time to that at the NHL level often.
Full time NHLer?

He spent as much time up in the press box as he did on the ice.

He also has numerous highlights in that video of him getting the puck off fairly quick or even one timing it, and while some of his shots he loads up on, he's still keeping the puck in motion so the puck isnt a stationary object for someone to get infront of, and changing the release location makes the goalies re-adjust.
 
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CycloneSweep

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His shot release actually seems pretty fast. He takes time to set up his shot and choose an angle, but the release itself is fast.
Oh 100%. My point is if you give a goalie that much time to see the puck, NHL quality goalies are going to save that the vast majority of the time or you will get a defender in to block it easily.

His shot is great he just needs to work on his shot selection speed. That's something he can easily improve. It wasn't a knock on him, just an observation of what he needs to continue to work on
 
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Samus44

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Full time NHLer?

He spent as much time up in the press box as he did on the ice.

He also has numerous highlights in that video of him getting the puck off fairly quick or even one timing it, and while some of his shots he loads up on, he's still keeping the puck in motion so the puck isnt a stationary object for someone to get infront of, and changing the release location makes the goalies re-adjust.

100% agree. It also gives him the option to pass a he draws in defenders and changing the angle opens things up. He's not a one trick pony and can hit sticks with shots/slap passes, regular passes at an elite level. Bouchard knows what he's doing just fine, if teams rush the point on him on the PP it's going to open the box up and if one of the big 3 have space in the middle of the ice it's even more dangerous than his shot. Bad PP QB's rush shots, great ones do exactly what you've described.
 
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McDNicks17

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100% agree. It also gives him the option to pass a he draws in defenders and changing the angle opens things up. He's not a one trick pony and can hit sticks with shots/slap passes, regular passes at an elite level. Bouchard knows what he's doing just fine, if teams rush the point on him on the PP it's going to open the box up and if one of the big 3 have space in the middle of the ice it's even more dangerous than his shot. Bad PP QB's rush shots, great ones do exactly what you've described.

I think that's one of the main strengths of his shot. He's always changing the angle, so his shot consistently gets through.


OT: That video almost felt like a mini highlight reel for Currie too. I'd love to see him get a shot to make a team like the Sens or Red Wings next year if the Oilers don't re-sign him.
 

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