Without speaking completely for Joe, he probably means at this point in the OFF SEASON, they had no intention of having him on the team, he made his way on the team to start the year, that changed things.
He's suggesting and I agree, that anyone suggesting that it's Bouchard's spot to lose is fooling themselves into a false reality. Bouchard has a shot and it's made even better with Sekera's injury, but I don't think he's even "penciled" in by the Oilers organization for the big club to start the year, let alone having a spot to lose.