Evan Bouchard vs Noah Dobson--who would have been your pick

[alphahelix]

I feel confident that Dobson will have a strong career. His mobility will cover any flaws in his game. Bouchard has defensive positioning issues with decent skating. Its a lot easier to avoid getting burned for poor defensive reads and positioning if you have quick legs. Its a bad combo that will require work to get to NHL caliber. His offensive game is definitely at a higher-level than Dobson, though. So this could be a case of "is the juice worth the squeeze?". As someone else said, Bouchard is a "gem that needs polishing". If the polishing works out then we got the better player. Dobson is definitely safer in my books and I may have taken him.

 

[McFlyingV]

I feel confident that Dobson will have a strong career. His mobility will cover any flaws in his game. Bouchard has defensive positioning issues with decent skating. Its a lot easier to avoid getting burned for poor defensive reads and positioning if you have quick legs. Its a bad combo that will require work to get to NHL caliber. His offensive game is definitely at a higher-level than Dobson, though. So this could be a case of "is the juice worth the squeeze?". As someone else said, Bouchard is a "gem that needs polishing". If the polishing works out then we got the better player. Dobson is definitely safer in my books and I may have taken him.

The one thing I sincerely question in Dobson's game is his offensive ability. Just watching him play in a few shift by shift videos its really hard to find one single thing that he does elite offensively. His passing is good, but far from great. His shot has some good velocity on it, but he rarely seems to actually use his skating advantage to change angles to get pucks through traffic. He plays a very safe game and seems to lack the understanding of when to creep in low or join the rush. Despite Bouchard having flaws of his own that you mentioned, and not being an overly dynamic player (or as Craig Button said "not a sexy player") you would never have any of these offensive concerns with Bouchard. Bouchard's passing and shooting are just so pin-point accurate compared to Dobson, and his offensive instincts and vision are just way way better. The only part of Dobson's offensive game that I really like is his ability to carry the puck and beat defenders wide, and he tends to cut in and make better use of it than someone like Nurse for example.

One of my favourite parts about Bouchard's game is his understanding of the situation and appropriate shot selection. He doesn't just fire a slap shot if the lane isn't there, he'll do one of a few different things. He'll fake the shot and pass off for a tip or down low play, he'll change the shooting angle to make his own shooting lane, or he'll take some velocity off his shot with a half slapper or wrister to make sure he finds a lane. He's also incredibly accurate with his shot as I already mentioned to the point where you could watch an entire 35 or 40 minute shift by shift of him and never see him miss the net or have his shot blocked in the high circle area. He's also incredibly smart at understanding when he has a guy available for a tip or a rebound off a pad and he abuses it rather than trying to just blow the puck by the goalie every time.

 

[Dan Kelly]

I said Dobson too but really I have ZERO problems with the Oilers taking Bouchard instead, especially if he's further along in his development than Dobson is and the Oilers feel they need players who are more NHL ready. I'm still happy with the pick!

 

[ConnorMcMullet]

The one thing I sincerely question in Dobson's game is his offensive ability. Just watching him play in a few shift by shift videos its really hard to find one single thing that he does elite offensively. His passing is good, but far from great. His shot has some good velocity on it, but he rarely seems to actually use his skating advantage to change angles to get pucks through traffic. He plays a very safe game and seems to lack the understanding of when to creep in low or join the rush. Despite Bouchard having flaws of his own that you mentioned, and not being an overly dynamic player (or as Craig Button said "not a sexy player") you would never have any of these offensive concerns with Bouchard. Bouchard's passing and shooting are just so pin-point accurate compared to Dobson, and his offensive instincts and vision are just way way better. The only part of Dobson's offensive game that I really like is his ability to carry the puck and beat defenders wide, and he tends to cut in and make better use of it than someone like Nurse for example.

One of my favourite parts about Bouchard's game is his understanding of the situation and appropriate shot selection. He doesn't just fire a slap shot if the lane isn't there, he'll do one of a few different things. He'll fake the shot and pass off for a tip or down low play, he'll change the shooting angle to make his own shooting lane, or he'll take some velocity off his shot with a half slapper or wrister to make sure he finds a lane. He's also incredibly accurate with his shot as I already mentioned to the point where you could watch an entire 35 or 40 minute shift by shift of him and never see him miss the net or have his shot blocked in the high circle area. He's also incredibly smart at understanding when he has a guy available for a tip or a rebound off a pad and he abuses it rather than trying to just blow the puck by the goalie every time.

Agreed. I don't get why everyone says that Dobson has a higher ceiling and more upside than Bouchard. Dobson reminds me so much of Jacob Trouba, whereas Bouchard has the offensive upside to become a true #1D like Carlson, OEL, and Burns.

 

[McFlyingV]

Agreed. I don't get why everyone says that Dobson has a higher ceiling and more upside than Bouchard. Dobson reminds me so much of Jacob Trouba, whereas Bouchard has the offensive upside to become a true #1D like Carlson, OEL, and Burns.

I think a lot of people are still obsessing over the memorial cup. He had a few good games, but even there I still saw a lot of the same questions with his offensive game despite his stat sheet. In terms of offensive ceiling I think I see Dobson as a 40 point guy, and Bouchard as a 60-65 point guy. No clue if they'll hit their ceilings, but to me its obvious who has the better offensive potential as of today.

 

[Aerchon]

Agreed. I don't get why everyone says that Dobson has a higher ceiling and more upside than Bouchard. Dobson reminds me so much of Jacob Trouba, whereas Bouchard has the offensive upside to become a true #1D like Carlson, OEL, and Burns.

Statistically he is awesome and is significantly ahead of Dobson in terms of offense. Really, besides perhaps maybe Boquist and maybe even potentially Dahlin, he has the best offensive defenseman in the draft.

A great pick at 10 and in general.

For some reason being the biggest of the top defensemen in this draft is not getting any love either. Dobson has good size but seems really small and while he most likely will fill out there are no true guarantees.

 

[walktheboulavard]

I am not going to lie, I was screaming for Noah Dobson when Chia was making the announcement. Hopefully, Bouchard can turn his defensive ability on and off at will and his shortcomings are more will than ability. I am cheering for the crest on the front and I sincerely hope Bouchard develops into the a elite offensive defense-man that can hold his own defensively as well.

 

[McNuge]

Was thrilled about the pick on draft day and I'm even more thrilled with the pick after seeing Bouchards passing ability. His shot is fantastic but his passing is just crisp and fast. Dobson is a great prospect and tbh I would have been disappointed if we took him over Bouchard or Whalstrom. Dobson doesn't have any game breaking skills, he is just pretty good all around. Bouchard has the passing and skill to be able to take over the top PP sooner rather than later.

 

[North]

Personally based on what the Oilers need, Bouchard would have been my choice.

Dobson is a nice player but I'm not sure that he is what the Oil need. I actually think Dobson going to the Isles was better for him because he's exactly what they need on the back end.

 

[McFlyingV]

Personally based on what the Oilers need, Bouchard would have been my choice.

Dobson is a nice player but I'm not sure that he is what the Oil need. I actually think Dobson going to the Isles was better for him because he's exactly what they need on the back end.

Probably true tbh. Islanders needed a good 2-way D and they already have Pulock who provides a similar skillset to Bouchard, albeit Bouchard is a much superior prospect to Pulock at the time of the draft and has better offensive tools.

 

[sailorjerry97]

Bouchard logging huge minutes and tons of points on a not so great Knights team

 

[ConnorMcMullet]

I would have went the Dallas route with Ty Dellandrea. I'm just higher on him than most and want that dynamic 1-2 punch down the middle.

I like both Dobson and Bouchard bringing different elements to the table.

I was higher on Dobson for his overall game coming into last season but believe we need that offense more(Bouchard) on defence to support McDavid and comany on offense.

Majority of high end players coming out of London never hurts with their quality coaching staff.

Draisaitl already provides us with one of the best 1-2 punches in the league. In no way is Dellandrea an upgrade on Draisaitl.

 

[The Hound]

Agreed. I don't get why everyone says that Dobson has a higher ceiling and more upside than Bouchard. Dobson reminds me so much of Jacob Trouba, whereas Bouchard has the offensive upside to become a true #1D like Carlson, OEL, and Burns.

I wanted Dobson but I’m happy with Bouch. In my opinion, it’s because Bouchard is already seen as the more NHL ready player, whereas Dobson still has time to up his game before being rated as one, like Hughes and Boqvist. To me, Bouchard is probably the best dman after Dahlin. I really hope we got lucky like CBJ and Boston did with Werenski and McAvoy, although they did play a second year in college. Develop him properly pleaseee.

 

[ImmuneEH]

Like someone else said, Bouchard is a gem that needs polishing. Yawney is a good guy to help him develop his game, and Larsson is such a great player to help him defensively. I say this because Larsson is as big, slower, yet is still effective defensively and knows how to use his size.

Dobson was the safer pick, but Bouchard fits this team's needs like a glove. I also think he will do much more for our forward group than Dobson ever could.

 

[Niten Ichi Ryu]

To me, Bouchard is almost identical to John Carlson, but with a more dangerous shot. Crisp passing, elite vision on the blue line, PP quarterback. But after watching alot of footage of his shift-by-shift videos, he really needs to work on his defensive game, particularly in urgent situations like around the net or on odd man rushes. He sometimes looks unmotivated and leaks passes right in front of his net, or is way out of position too often causing odd man rushes. But I'm sure Trent Yawney can mold him and gradually polish up that part of his game

Noah Dobson, IMO, potentially is a mix of Ekman-Larsson and Roman Josi. He's utilizes his long stick very effectively in the d-zone, solid around his net, possesses a blue-line shot almost identical to OEL, and is a more complete 200 foot player. Of course all of his potential has to translate to the NHL, which is the gamble the Oilers had to make a decision on. Right now, Bouchard is a sure bet to become a very good NHL Quarterback. Dobson is a gamble when having to choose between him and Bouchard, but if he realizes his potential, he will eventually become a more complete and superior all around defenseman

 

[nuck]

Dobson, Wahlstrom and Bouchard. I cant choose between them but I love the pick, and seldom you can draft for need and have such a high end prospect fall in your lap. Maybe a better outcome for the Isles as they had little choice for BPA and got two, but Bouch could be a Pietrangelo type addition for the Oil. Most impressive is that he led a strong club in regular season scoring. How often does a draft age D ever do that?

 

[FunkyChicken]

At the time of the draft I would have went Dobson but I was very happy that any of he, Bouchard and Wahlstrom were still around.
Now that I think about it, I would have gone with Bouchard as well as I think his game is more suited to the NHL (more first pass out, and make plays from the point vs rushing type plays).

 

[iCanada]

Bouchard for sure.

Of the two he's got the elite assets and he also plays in the O and not Q.

Then you take a look at how many points the two scored and campare based on goals per game, and compare by percentage of offense generated, and it's not even close.

Then you consider we have McDavid and Drai signed long term who you want carrying the puck up ice and Bouchards elite stretch pass and it starts to become a no brainer. Especially when you note that Bouchard had the most pp points of all ohl D and that's exactlywhat our pp needs.

Even if you think they are identical or dobby is better, bouchard compliments McDavid to a T. Having that shot, handedness, and instincts on a pp with McDavid on the right half wall? Yes f***ing please.

 

[Tyrolean]

Oilers often go for the player with the highest ceiling instead of the steady sure bet. Hall made it but Seguin is not a bad pick too, notable failures were Steve Kelly instead of Doan, Yakupov instead of Ryan Murray, e Nurse instead of Ristolainen and probably more of teh 1st round picks. Hopefully with Bouchard it's not more of the same mistakes. It's a disturbing trend.

 

[Dan Kelly]

Agreed. I don't get why everyone says that Dobson has a higher ceiling and more upside than Bouchard. Dobson reminds me so much of Jacob Trouba, whereas Bouchard has the offensive upside to become a true #1D like Carlson, OEL, and Burns.

Man if we could get OEL like numbers out of Bouchard we'd have really hit the jackpot!

 

[Tyrolean]

Of Dobson, Wahlstrom and Bouchard, I think the Oilers got the worst of the 3 but that does not mean he is bad. Maybe needs more polishing than the others, but I'd rather have a player more advanced early. Keeping my fingers crossed Bouchard turns out to be great but this organizing is riddled with bad luck.

 

[randomrob7]

As an Oilers fan I was watching the draft, and was super excited when I realized one of the two would fall to us. Then both did, and I was not prepared. I knew they were both ranked fairly evenly, with Bouchard being more NHL ready and Dobson having slightly better skating. I had no idea what they actually looked like, though. Then the commentator said they were both on camera and they happened to be sitting beside each other. At that point, I knew I wanted the ****** in the light blue suit. He looked like a 28 year old MAN. Turns out, that was Bouchard, so I was happy. Lol

 

[walktheboulavard]

Oilers often go for the player with the highest ceiling instead of the steady sure bet. Hall made it but Seguin is not a bad pick too, notable failures were Steve Kelly instead of Doan, Yakupov instead of Ryan Murray, e Nurse instead of Ristolainen and probably more of teh 1st round picks. Hopefully with Bouchard it's not more of the same mistakes. It's a disturbing trend.

How was this a notable failure? Nurse destroyed Risto in almost every analytical category this year, handled though competition all year, while being the younger player. It's clear some posters are already forgetting the individual success this player has had this year. Sorry but Nurse isn't a selection mistake.

 

[randomrob7]

How was this a notable failure? Nurse destroyed Risto in almost every analytical category this year, handled though competition all year, while being the younger player. It's clear some posters are already forgetting the individual success this player has had this year. Sorry but Nurse isn't a selection mistake.

Exactly. Most players on the Oilers regressed this year. Nurse did the opposite. One of the only positive take-aways from last season for the Oilers.

 

[randomrob7]

Oilers often go for the player with the highest ceiling instead of the steady sure bet. Hall made it but Seguin is not a bad pick too, notable failures were Steve Kelly instead of Doan, Yakupov instead of Ryan Murray, e Nurse instead of Ristolainen and probably more of teh 1st round picks. Hopefully with Bouchard it's not more of the same mistakes. It's a disturbing trend.

Literally none of the selections you brought up were made by current management. I mean wtf... Doan? That was over 20 years ago. Not to mention Nurse had a better year than Risto and is younger, with a much more promising potential.