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Oilers Balked at Evan Bouchard’s Price Tag on 8-Year Deal
Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Edmonton Oilers general manager Stan Bowman recently revealed that the asking price on Evan Bouchard‘s potentially eight-year extension ruled out that option almost immediately. Bowman told the media he was happy to get an extension done for the defenseman, but that the eight-year extension that insiders projected and fans wanted was never in the cards.

Speaking about the negotiations with Bouchard’s agent, Bowman acknowledged that the rising salary cap had everything to do with where the number and term fell on Bouchard’s extension.

“Getting him signed was critical,” said Bowman. He added an eight-year term was quickly taken off the table as the agent made it clear that wasn’t something that made sense for them. “It was a function of the salary cap and where that’s going,” said Bowman. “We certainly know the next three years, that’s going up considerable amounts and we do know what those numbers are. We don’t know where it’s going beyond that, but there’s a projection that it could continue to rise.”

The 8-Year Number Was “So High”

Bowman said the player’s side wasn’t interested in eight years and that the number on an eight-year deal was so high, “It didn’t really make sense for anybody.” He admitted the Oilers were hoping to do an eight-year deal, but it wasn’t an option that got much attention.

“The deals get made when the two sides meet at something they’re both comfortable with,” said Bowman. They were never interested in eight years, but the Oilers knew they still needed to get a deal done, and after some back and forth, finally got there.

All the while, the threat of an offer sheet existed, putting the Oilers on a tighter timeline than they would have liked.

This article first appeared on NHL Trade Talk and was syndicated with permission.

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