Player Discussion Evan Bouchard: Scoring like mad

[Jimmi McJenkins]

Guelph has London's number the last little while and Samorukov led the charge. Now he is still leading the charge but the rest of the team is rolling over.

The more I see this kid the more I see a real NHL player in Samorukov

 

[CycloneSweep]

The more I see this kid the more I see a real NHL player in Samorukov

Yep.
I also think he is the perfect compliment to Bouchard.
Defensively responsible but with a good offensive side too.

I think they should be stapled together in Bakersfield next year and then the following year just move up as our 3rd pairing and start to dominate from there.

 

[elmeroil]

Exciting to think about his potential. The way he's playing in the playoffs he may not need time in Bakersfield after all.

I think he definitely needs some time in the AHL. He needs to play against men for awhile and continue to develop. He's too good for the OHL now but no point in rushing him.

I can't stand Nicholson but the one thing I do agree with is letting the prospects over ripen in Bakersfield.

 

[ohheyhemsky]

Adding byram to our prospect pool would be outstanding.

Such a good player he is.

 

[Mcnotloilersfan]

Doubt you get by Ottawa...probably the best team in the CHL

It's unlikely that we beat them, but we are handling a really a good team in Oshawa well without Maksimov and Thomas.

We have a more experienced/higher end offensive depth than Ottawa does.

Crazy that Ottawa is actually built for next season, and from what I heard they also just had the best draft in the league.

 

[nally]

It's unlikely that we beat them, but we are handling a really a good team in Oshawa well without Maksimov and Thomas.

We have a more experienced/higher end offensive depth than Ottawa does.

Crazy that Ottawa is actually built for next season, and from what I heard they also just had the best draft in the league.

Damn, that doesn't bode well for the Knights next year. They have a stupid good team as it is. Hope Oshawa can beat them. Too bad about not having Maksimov and Thomas, kinda important to any success you would think. Grind it out for some wins, go Oshawa.

 

[Tobias Kahun]

It's unlikely that we beat them, but we are handling a really a good team in Oshawa well without Maksimov and Thomas.

We have a more experienced/higher end offensive depth than Ottawa does.

Crazy that Ottawa is actually built for next season, and from what I heard they also just had the best draft in the league.

Any idea on a timetable for maksmovs return?

 

[Mcnotloilersfan]

Any idea on a timetable for maksmovs return?

None. It's all over the place. I've heard anywhere from back tonight for game 3, to done for the season. The team is keeping it quiet.

 

[Fourier]

None. It's all over the place. I've heard anywhere from back tonight for game 3, to done for the season. The team is keeping it quiet.

What's his deal> Any idea which body part is in the shop?

 

[ThePhoenixx]

Barring some strange and unforeseen upgrade at RH D, I’d dump Russell and put Sekera at 2nd pairing D then let Jones be #3 LH D and let Benning, Persson and Bear duke it out for #3RH D. If Bouchard is using the AHL as a personal chew toy, then I’d possibly move him up, but I’d expect him in the AHL all season. It’d free up cap space and let us see what we have in Jones and Bear. I am fully aware that it will not likely be a playoff caliber D corps. Hopefully in two years we move out Sekera and we’ve got a more mobile, cheaper, puckmoving D with enough talent to make us a contender.

Klefbom - Larsson
Nurse - Bouchard/Bear
Jones - Bear/Benning

If Larsson is looking like he is right now, we’re in trouble.

If that's the Oiler defense going in to the year expect another bottom 5 finish.

 

[BudBundy]

If that's the Oiler defense going in to the year expect another bottom 5 finish.

No thoughts on the D corps in 2020? If we are going to do things properly and not wind up with another aborted series of shortcuts I dont expect us to make big changes next year. If we break in some younger, faster, cheaper players and give one more year for guys like Bouchard, Yamamoto, and Benson to develop, the progress will be clear and it will set us up to actually make a dent in 2020. We get to a point where we can shed Sekera and Russell, Lucic’s bonus is paid making him easier to move, and Manning and Gagner are off the books, thats when we can do drastic changes. Right now, we have holes everywhere and no assets or cap space to fix them. Tool GMs like Chiarelli make knee-jerk moves like Hall for Larsson and picks for Reinhart to speed up things.

 

[Louis Cypher]

If that's the Oiler defense going in to the year expect another bottom 5 finish.

The defense when healthy isn't our problem. Its our useless wingers who cant get the puck out, break up plays in the defensive zone and hold the play down low in the offensive zone. Oh and score goals.

Getting rid of ring it around the boards Russell and having someone who can move the puck to a half decent wingers who can score this will look like a completely different team.

Also need a backup who can push for starts.

 

[BoldNewLettuce]

The defense when healthy isn't our problem. Its our useless wingers who cant get the puck out, break up plays in the defensive zone and hold the play down low in the offensive zone. Oh and score goals.

Getting rid of ring it around the boards Russell and having someone who can move the puck to a half decent wingers who can score this will look like a completely different team.

Also need a backup who can push for starts.

Lucic for one of waddells awful goalies.

 

[McTonyBrar]

Remembering the season makes me want to barf.. Koskinen is our #1... Oh Lord we aren't seeing playoffs next year with him and his garbage play in net

 

[Macblender]

Remembering the season makes me want to barf.. Koskinen is our #1... Oh Lord we aren't seeing playoffs next year with him and his garbage play in net

Fair I am curious how much of Koskinen (besides the glove) is how trapped we get in our own end since the wingers cant move pucks out. We basically rely on McDavid, Drai, and Nuge from our forward group to get a good breakout going and those are only successful when our wingers are not involved.

 

[Louis Cypher]

Fair I am curious how much of Koskinen (besides the glove) is how trapped we get in our own end since the wingers cant move pucks out. We basically rely on McDavid, Drai, and Nuge from our forward group to get a good breakout going and those are only successful when our wingers are not involved.

This totally. I think Koskinen will be fine. We need to have more than 4 or 5 forwards who can score otherwise we are not getting better.

 

[North]

This totally. I think Koskinen will be fine. We need to have more than 4 or 5 forwards who can score otherwise we are not getting better.

I also think when he's tired his reflexes are slower which does account for some of the glove issues.

When he gets a rest, he often looked better the next game he played.

 

[Macblender]

I also think when he's tired his reflexes are slower which does account for some of the glove issues.

When he gets a rest, he often looked better the next game he played.

Yeah if we can land a decent back up who can play 25-35 games I think we should be fine. Example being McElhiney.

Anyways back to Bouchard I strongly believe he should not start in the line up this season let him first get his feet wet in a much better league than the OHL where he has less time and space then decide from there. If we really need to go with two rookie D then we are not in a good spot next year as one of the two will be on the second pairing and is likely playing above their head.

By the end of the season if Jones/Bear the one who makes the team is playing well enough on the 3rd pair that we can move them up in the case of an injury that is when you let Bouchard or our best AHL dman at the time take a run on the bottom pair for a bit.

 

[North]

Yeah if we can land a decent back up who can play 25-35 games I think we should be fine. Example being McElhiney.

Anyways back to Bouchard I strongly believe he should not start in the line up this season let him first get his feet wet in a much better league than the OHL where he has less time and space then decide from there. If we really need to go with two rookie D then we are not in a good spot next year as one of the two will be on the second pairing and is likely playing above their head.

By the end of the season if Jones/Bear the one who makes the team is playing well enough on the 3rd pair that we can move them up in the case of an injury that is when you let Bouchard or our best AHL dman at the time take a run on the bottom pair for a bit.

I actually do want to see what we have in Lagesson though. He's a defense first defender and seems to do well in every league he plays in.

Bouchard, I'm okay with him going to the AHL to start. I think he needs the experience of playing the pro game and adapting his offense to that. The AHL is the best place for him to do that.

When he was up with us at the beginning of this season, he kind of pushed the offense to the side and focused on being on the right side of the puck defensively.

 

[Faelko]

Did I see the Knights are heading to game 7? Wonder if Bouchard goes to Bakersfield. If they lose?

 

[Roof Daddy]

Did I see the Knights are heading to game 7? Wonder if Bouchard goes to Bakersfield. If they lose?

I would have to think so, even if it just means as the 7th D man, just to be around that group knowing many of them will be teammates next year.

I’m not saying that would be his role though, he should be capable of playing top unit PP and then sheltered 5 on 5 minutes.

I actually would prefer the Knights get eliminated so he gets time with the Condors.

 

[Stoneman89]

I also think when he's tired his reflexes are slower which does account for some of the glove issues.

When he gets a rest, he often looked better the next game he played.

If that’s the case, then he should be not be considered a #1 goaltender, but rather part of a tandem. If we are fortunate enough to start making the playoffs and the grind that ensues, we can’t rely solely on people that tire out on us and can’t get the job done.

 

[ConnorMcMullet]

I would have to think so, even if it just means as the 7th D man, just to be around that group knowing many of them will be teammates next year.

I’m not saying that would be his role though, he should be capable of playing top unit PP and then sheltered 5 on 5 minutes.

I actually would prefer the Knights get eliminated so he gets time with the Condors.

I'm fine either way. One of Samorukov/Bouchard get some pro experience and the other gets a long OHL playoff run.

 

[Aerchon]

If that’s the case, then he should be not be considered a #1 goaltender, but rather part of a tandem. If we are fortunate enough to start making the playoffs and the grind that ensues, we can’t rely solely on people that tire out on us and can’t get the job done.

This statement, from what I understand about goaltending, shows vast ignorance. Or a brainwashed viewpoint due to how badly the Oilers mismanaged thier goaltending situation, for the last ten plus years.

In the history of the nhl while I have been watching it's standard for starting goalies to play 55 to 65 games a year. There are a handful, like Brodure, Price, Talbot (1 year only) and Vokoun that play 70ish. Most those goalies even suffer injuries and strain and can't manage to consistently do that year after year.

Some teams even seem to plan for split situations Roloson Fernandez (Minny back in the day) to improve a goalies overall abilities.

The playoffs are the exception not the rule.

Khabibulin would lose 10lbs every game. Try to hold you glove hand ready for the amount a goaltender does and get back to me about fatigue .

It is flat out moronic what the Oilers have been doing with Talbot and Koskinen. f***ing moronic.

Especially Koskinen who is older and has never played even remotely close to what he did this year.

It is desperate and stupid.

Most goalies need a break every 4 or 5 games due to the long grueling nature of an nhl regular season.

Stupid stupid stupid.

Thd backup needs regular playing time to be effective as well.

Stupid stupid stupid Oilers. I'm so tired of the idiots running this franchise into the ground.

I can think of few things more simple to fix on this team other than just running the goalies in a simple and standard way.

If the coaching staff and management just did that this year we might have made the playoffs this year even.

 

[Panda Bear]

Lucic for one of waddells awful goalies.

For Scott Darling? I would do that trade in a heartbeat assuming that we get another asset like Wallmark. Lucic--somehow--has substantially more value to the Hurricanes than Darling does.

We're in a crunch for 2019-20 and 20-21 as it is. We currently have $71,036,999 committed for 15 roster players next season, which is balanced against an expected cap of $83 million. Assuming a full roster of 23 players, we have around $12 million to spend for 8 players. Assuming that a good top six player costs $5 to 7 million in salary (e.g. Hoffman), we're looking at at $5 to 7 million for 7 players. Oof.

Lucic for Darling with a buyout would open up roughly $4.8 million in cap space. For us, were we to buy out Darling immediately:

SEASON	BASE SALARY	INITIAL CAP HIT	ACTUAL COST	SAVINGS	FINAL CAP HIT
2019-20	$4,100,000	$4,150,000	$1,183,333	$2,916,667	$1,233,333
2020-21	$3,000,000	$4,150,000	$1,183,333	$1,816,667	$2,333,333
2021-22	$0	$0	$1,183,333	-$1,183,333	$1,183,333
2022-23	$0	$0	$1,183,333	-$1,183,333	$1,183,333
TOTAL	$7,100,000	$8,300,000	$4,733,333	$2,366,667	$5,933,333

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

We take a hit in 21-22 and 22-23, but we suddenly have $9.8 to 11.8 million for 7 players this upcoming season.