Player Discussion Evan Bouchard: Scoring like mad

[Tobias Kahun]

Not a bad start to the playoffs for him.

 

[bobbythebrain]

Not a bad start to the playoffs for him.

But he's a bust

 

[A91]

But I thought he was supposed to be a terrible hockey player based on that one YouTube video

And don't forget his WJC where all Canadian players exceeded expectations except him oh and they were tremendously coached.

 

[McFlyingV]

Craig Button watching Bouchard playoff highlights.

It still seems so strange to me his comments regarding Bouchard. Listen to what he said about Bouchard at 0:48 of this video prior to him being drafted.

 

[North]

It still seems so strange to me his comments regarding Bouchard. Listen to what he said about Bouchard at 0:48 of this video prior to him being drafted.

Once the Oilers drafted him, Button’s bias kicked in.

 

[bobbythebrain]

Button is a guy who wants to make bold predictions. It's why he always rips a top end player to fail and tries to glorify his a darkhorse

 

[Tobias Kahun]

It still seems so strange to me his comments regarding Bouchard. Listen to what he said about Bouchard at 0:48 of this video prior to him being drafted.

What a shocker, drafted by Edmonton and opinions change

 

[bobbythebrain]

Button is a guy who wants to make bold predictions. It's why he always rips a top end player to fail and tries to glorify his a darkhorse

I use to like him, but his shtick is rather predictable now

 

[Tobias Kahun]

I use to like him, but his shtick is rather predictable now

He says outlandish stuff every year to get clicks to make money

 

[bobbythebrain]

He says outlandish stuff every year to get clicks to make money

Yup. He was my goto in fantasy, but now I just avoid him at all costs, and am better for it

 

[thadd]

I think people are jumping onto the Bouchard hype train too quickly here.
#1 - He's still got flaws to get over. His skating needs work and he needs to get used to making decisions at a faster pace if he wants to be relevant in the NHL.
#2 This is the OHL. Not AHL, let alone NHL.
#3 He playing on a very talented team.

• Connor McMichael (C) led the team in points and is ranked 22nd-29th at this up coming draft depending on where you go.
• Liam Foudy (C) was over 1PPG and he went 18th overall at the last draft.
• Adam Boqvist (D) was drafted a few spots before Bouchard and his offensive numbers were almost as impressive as Bouchard's in the regular season.
• Alec Regula (D) was drafted in the 3rd round at the last draft and put up almost 0.6PPG.
• Nathan Nunkley (C) and Billy Boskal (C) put up 53 and 36 points respectively in the regular season and are both ranked top 200 at the upcoming draft.
• Undrafted Kevin Hancock has put up 1.5PPG and .06GPG in 33GP with the London Knights. He was drafted from the Owen Sound where had around the same PPG.

This team has a bunch of powerful offensive weapons and it's really hard to tell if Bouchard is the main catalyst.

 

[3IR]

I think people are jumping onto the Bouchard hype train too quickly here.
#1 - He's still got flaws to get over. His skating needs work and he needs to get used to making decisions at a faster pace if he wants to be relevant in the NHL.
#2 This is the OHL. Not AHL, let alone NHL.
#3 He playing on a very talented team.

• Connor McMichael (C) led the team in points and is ranked 22nd-29th at this up coming draft depending on where you go.
• Liam Foudy (C) was over 1PPG and he went 18th overall at the last draft.
• Adam Boqvist (D) was drafted a few spots before Bouchard and his offensive numbers were almost as impressive as Bouchard's in the regular season.
• Alec Regula (D) was drafted in the 3rd round at the last draft and put up almost 0.6PPG.
• Nathan Nunkley (C) and Billy Boskal (C) put up 53 and 36 points respectively in the regular season and are both ranked top 200 at the upcoming draft.
• Undrafted Kevin Hancock has put up 1.5PPG and .06GPG in 33GP with the London Knights. He was drafted from the Owen Sound where had around the same PPG.

This team has a bunch of powerful offensive weapons and it's really hard to tell if Bouchard is the main catalyst.

What?

Everyone's happy he's had a great start to the playoffs and rightfully dismissing the opinions of those who were calling him a bust after another successful OHL season, because he had a less than stellar WJC.

Not like people are anointing him our saviour...

Why is there an issue with being excited and optimistic for a prospect?

Thanks for bringing everyone back to earth though, we don't want optimism and positive prospect talk ruining the great vibe we have going around here.

 

[Del Preston]

"Don't try to convince me that Patrick Maroon is a good player."

 

[Tobias Kahun]

I think people are jumping onto the Bouchard hype train too quickly here.
#1 - He's still got flaws to get over. His skating needs work and he needs to get used to making decisions at a faster pace if he wants to be relevant in the NHL.
#2 This is the OHL. Not AHL, let alone NHL.
#3 He playing on a very talented team.

• Connor McMichael (C) led the team in points and is ranked 22nd-29th at this up coming draft depending on where you go.
• Liam Foudy (C) was over 1PPG and he went 18th overall at the last draft.
• Adam Boqvist (D) was drafted a few spots before Bouchard and his offensive numbers were almost as impressive as Bouchard's in the regular season.
• Alec Regula (D) was drafted in the 3rd round at the last draft and put up almost 0.6PPG.
• Nathan Nunkley (C) and Billy Boskal (C) put up 53 and 36 points respectively in the regular season and are both ranked top 200 at the upcoming draft.
• Undrafted Kevin Hancock has put up 1.5PPG and .06GPG in 33GP with the London Knights. He was drafted from the Owen Sound where had around the same PPG.

This team has a bunch of powerful offensive weapons and it's really hard to tell if Bouchard is the main catalyst.

Forgot that we aren’t allowed to be excited for our prospects.

Even with his team being so good, Bouchard has been the best player on the ice in the 2 games and it’s not that close

 

[Llamamoto]

I think people are jumping onto the Bouchard hype train too quickly here.
#1 - He's still got flaws to get over. His skating needs work and he needs to get used to making decisions at a faster pace if he wants to be relevant in the NHL.
#2 This is the OHL. Not AHL, let alone NHL.
#3 He playing on a very talented team.

• Connor McMichael (C) led the team in points and is ranked 22nd-29th at this up coming draft depending on where you go.
• Liam Foudy (C) was over 1PPG and he went 18th overall at the last draft.
• Adam Boqvist (D) was drafted a few spots before Bouchard and his offensive numbers were almost as impressive as Bouchard's in the regular season.
• Alec Regula (D) was drafted in the 3rd round at the last draft and put up almost 0.6PPG.
• Nathan Nunkley (C) and Billy Boskal (C) put up 53 and 36 points respectively in the regular season and are both ranked top 200 at the upcoming draft.
• Undrafted Kevin Hancock has put up 1.5PPG and .06GPG in 33GP with the London Knights. He was drafted from the Owen Sound where had around the same PPG.

This team has a bunch of powerful offensive weapons and it's really hard to tell if Bouchard is the main catalyst.

Bouchard is definitely a main catalyst. Last year their team sucked, but he still led his team in points by a fair bit. He's also carrying his team in the playoffs right now. 7 points on the 9 goals their team has scores so far.

 

[bobbythebrain]

I think people are jumping onto the Bouchard hype train too quickly here.
#1 - He's still got flaws to get over. His skating needs work and he needs to get used to making decisions at a faster pace if he wants to be relevant in the NHL.
#2 This is the OHL. Not AHL, let alone NHL.
#3 He playing on a very talented team.

• Connor McMichael (C) led the team in points and is ranked 22nd-29th at this up coming draft depending on where you go.
• Liam Foudy (C) was over 1PPG and he went 18th overall at the last draft.
• Adam Boqvist (D) was drafted a few spots before Bouchard and his offensive numbers were almost as impressive as Bouchard's in the regular season.
• Alec Regula (D) was drafted in the 3rd round at the last draft and put up almost 0.6PPG.
• Nathan Nunkley (C) and Billy Boskal (C) put up 53 and 36 points respectively in the regular season and are both ranked top 200 at the upcoming draft.
• Undrafted Kevin Hancock has put up 1.5PPG and .06GPG in 33GP with the London Knights. He was drafted from the Owen Sound where had around the same PPG.

This team has a bunch of powerful offensive weapons and it's really hard to tell if Bouchard is the main catalyst.

What?

He obliterated the OHL in what was supposed to a rebuild for the Knights. Same s*** happened last year w/ ppl crediting other players over him. You don't do what he did with "poor" skating

Boqvist is only better b/c he is played to his strengths. Bouchard, for anyone with any insight, was not gonna repeat last year. And thankfully he didn't. Totally predicable. Why this is used as an argument is perplexing? Strip the team of all talent, play him as #1 30 min a night and lets talk how great Boqvist is.

He was asked to work on things. He has. The Knights are the #1 PK team this year w/ him helping the PK. His #'s are equivalent to Boqvist yet he has a different role, and is more improved all around. How is Boqvist's on the PK? Has Boqvist been the #1 dman all year?

Bouchard is also going thru motions. He got sent to the O after playing in the NHL. Human nature should be factored in also.

He played admirably in the NHL. This didn't happen?

Your post is riddled w/ excuses looking for him to fail.

 

[bobbythebrain]

Bouchard is definitely a main catalyst. Last year their team sucked, but he still led his team in points by a fair bit. He's also carrying his team in the playoffs right now. 7 points on the 9 goals their team has scores so far.

Those points are irrelevant. Other teammates made it happen. His skating is too useless to be a factor

 

[Llamamoto]

Those points are irrelevant. Other teammates made it happen. His skating is too useless to be a factor

And he looks too stiff and lazy.

 

[bobbythebrain]

And he looks too stiff and lazy.

Totally

I watched Sergachev skate around like a monkey his first NHL stint. Dahlin wasn't much better in his first few games

Bouchard looked pretty damn comfortable and w/ some predicable rookie lapses.

I see a NHL player, as much as the other 2

 

[Ritchie Valens]

What?

Everyone's happy he's had a great start to the playoffs and rightfully dismissing the opinions of those who were calling him a bust after another successful OHL season, because he had a less than stellar WJC.

Not like people are anointing him our saviour...

Why is there an issue with being excited and optimistic for a prospect?

Thanks for bringing everyone back to earth though, we don't want optimism and positive prospect talk ruining the great vibe we have going around here.

It just baffles me how all these hockey "experts" you see in the media seem to put much more stock into a two week international tournament over the player's body of work throughout his junior career. This includes Mckenzie.

A player could lead his junior team in scoring and play well in the playoffs but because he rang one off the post instead of scoring in a WJC game, he folds under pressure and his game won't translate to the NHL (I'm stretching it here, but that's what it seems like).

I'm no hockey expert by any means but the WJC is just a tournament to me, it doesn't define a player or his future career, yet it certainly seems to with high-profile analysts.

 

[CupofOil]

I think people are jumping onto the Bouchard hype train too quickly here.
#1 - He's still got flaws to get over. His skating needs work and he needs to get used to making decisions at a faster pace if he wants to be relevant in the NHL.
#2 This is the OHL. Not AHL, let alone NHL.
#3 He playing on a very talented team.

• Connor McMichael (C) led the team in points and is ranked 22nd-29th at this up coming draft depending on where you go.
• Liam Foudy (C) was over 1PPG and he went 18th overall at the last draft.
• Adam Boqvist (D) was drafted a few spots before Bouchard and his offensive numbers were almost as impressive as Bouchard's in the regular season.
• Alec Regula (D) was drafted in the 3rd round at the last draft and put up almost 0.6PPG.
• Nathan Nunkley (C) and Billy Boskal (C) put up 53 and 36 points respectively in the regular season and are both ranked top 200 at the upcoming draft.
• Undrafted Kevin Hancock has put up 1.5PPG and .06GPG in 33GP with the London Knights. He was drafted from the Owen Sound where had around the same PPG.

This team has a bunch of powerful offensive weapons and it's really hard to tell if Bouchard is the main catalyst.

I'm not a big fan of Bouchard but he tore the OHL apart in his draft year on a team that was much worse than this one so I wouldn't dismiss his ability to be a catalyst at that level.

Bouchard is an elite level junior defenseman, I just have doubts that it will translate to the next level. I think he'll always need to be sheltered in the NHL, his defense will be a major liability IMO.

 

[Tobias Kahun]

I think people are jumping onto the Bouchard hype train too quickly here.
#1 - He's still got flaws to get over. His skating needs work and he needs to get used to making decisions at a faster pace if he wants to be relevant in the NHL.
#2 This is the OHL. Not AHL, let alone NHL.
#3 He playing on a very talented team.

• Connor McMichael (C) led the team in points and is ranked 22nd-29th at this up coming draft depending on where you go.
• Liam Foudy (C) was over 1PPG and he went 18th overall at the last draft.
• Adam Boqvist (D) was drafted a few spots before Bouchard and his offensive numbers were almost as impressive as Bouchard's in the regular season.
• Alec Regula (D) was drafted in the 3rd round at the last draft and put up almost 0.6PPG.
• Nathan Nunkley (C) and Billy Boskal (C) put up 53 and 36 points respectively in the regular season and are both ranked top 200 at the upcoming draft.
• Undrafted Kevin Hancock has put up 1.5PPG and .06GPG in 33GP with the London Knights. He was drafted from the Owen Sound where had around the same PPG.

This team has a bunch of powerful offensive weapons and it's really hard to tell if Bouchard is the main catalyst.

Is a talented team, but their highest scorer was still only 39th in the OHL.

 

[North]

I'm not a big fan of Bouchard but he tore the OHL apart in his draft year on a team that was much worse than this one so I wouldn't dismiss his ability to be a catalyst at that level.

Bouchard is an elite level junior defenseman, I just have doubts that it will translate to the next level. I think he'll always need to be sheltered in the NHL, his defense will be a major liability IMO.

Seems to be the case with most offensive defensemen. They aren’t great defensively.

I will say that while he got torched a couple of times while with the Oilers, he didn’t look completely out of place defensively.

 

[Fourier]

Is a talented team, but their highest scorer was still only 39th in the OHL.

Bouchard was second on the team in ppg this year behind 21 year old Kevin Hancock who came over from Owen Sound. Pretty impressive.

 

[oobga]

It still seems so strange to me his comments regarding Bouchard. Listen to what he said about Bouchard at 0:48 of this video prior to him being drafted.

Button consistently bashes everything Oilers except how good McDavid is. It’s funny some times (bashing Eakins, Chia and the like), but pretty lame in other instances.