Oilers and Bouchard ‘Better Budget For’ Offer Sheet Changes

In fact, X.com user @Woodguy55, predicts it will happen. “Someone is gonna offer sheet Evan Bouchard at $11,700,191. The Edmonton Oilers better budget for it,” the account writes.

That $11.7 number isn’t random. It’s just below the highest compensation threshold for offer sheets, where a team would owe four first-round picks in return. If a team came at Bouchard and offered $11.7, the Oilers would either have to match it or take two firsts, one second, and one third-round pick in return. Some might argue that’s plenty. Others might suggest that isn’t enough given how gifted Bouchard is offensively and how impactful he can be on both ends of the ice when he’s focused and applies himself.

At Least One Team Will View Bouchard As Worth the Risk

The Oilers might value Bouchard, but they certainly don’t want to pay $11.7 million per season for him. It’s a steep cost that might be worth it for a team that sees the 24-year-old blueliner as a power-play quarterback who is quickly establishing himself as one of the best offensive defensemen in the NHL. He’s breaking records left and right, recently becoming the fourth-fastest defenseman in NHL history to reach 70 playoff points.

Regardless of what some may think of his defensive acumen, there is no denying how impactful he can be. And, as the Blues proved last season, teams like to target winners. Taking Bouchard off the Oilers roster would be problematic for Edmonton. It would create a massive hole that needs filling—something GM Stan Bowman would have to do in this window to win and with a big contract decision coming for Connor McDavid.

The Oilers already face tight cap constraints, and while re-signing Bouchard is a priority, a well-timed and aggressive offer sheet could force the organization into a difficult position. Either they match and stretch their budget even thinner, or they take the draft pick compensation and lose a key piece of their core.

It’s important to remember that Bouchard has to be willing to sign the offer sheet. It’s not clear what his priorities are, but it is known that the Oilers want him to stick around and are prepared to pay him well. It’s likely not in the range of the $11.7 million that an offer sheet would require to make the Oilers squirm, but only a few dominoes need to fall to make this a storyline worth watching.

Offer sheets are becoming a more accepted tactic in the NHL. The Blues’ success in using them this past summer shows that teams with the draft capital to make a move should consider them. And if the Oilers have learned anything from this past summer, they need to budget for the scenario, even as improbable as it might be.