Edmonton Oilers
Host: “Would Not Surprise Me If Oilers Taking Calls on Bouchard”
One prominent Oilers social media poster and ex radio host says he wouldn’t be surprised if the team is taking trade calls on Evan Bouchard.
According to Paul Almeida, a former radio host and noted Oilers X poster, “Would not surprise me one bit if the Oilers are taking calls on Bouchard.”
The post came as the Oilers barely beat the Buffalo Sabres, and Bouchard struggled again. A dynamic offensive defenseman, who is often underrated for the overall defenseman he is, Evan Bouchard is a polarizing figure in Edmonton. When Bouchard makes a mistake, it’s glaring. When he botches a play or causes a turnover, it’s loud. His mistakes often lead to 10-bell chances, which can drive the fan base ballistic, even though Bouchard is gifted offensively and makes some incredible plays too.
When asked if he was being serious or had inside information that Bouchard might be someone the Oilers consider trading, Almeida responded, “It’s incumbent on the GM to find out what’s out there for a player before you invest 8 years at big $ on him.” He added, “If he doesn’t do it then he’s not doing his job.”
Timing Of the Bouchard Comments Intriguing
There’s likely nothing to this post. At least not in terms of the Oilers having a trade they’re working on. But, the timing is interesting.
Bouchard had another rough outing and there was a blockbuster trade this week involving three teams, with potentially more moves to come. If the Colorado Avalanche can trade Mikko Rantanen, there’s no reason to think the Oilers can’t trade Bouchard. Almeida’s post might be drawing more attention because that huge deal went down and surprised a ton of hockey fans.
The fact the Oilers are also ready to insert John Klingberg into the lineup has people like Almeida wondering if Bouchard becomes expendable. A video surfaced of Klingberg defending Connor McDavid in practice, and Klingberg looked pretty good. Realistically, the Oilers might not need both Klingberg and Bouchard if Klingberg works out.
If the Oilers do trade Bouchard, they’ll be looking for a huge return and thinking about their future salary cap situation. Bouchard is likely going to make between $8-$10 million on a long-term deal and the Oilers might not be ready to invest that kind of money into someone if they haven’t first explored every alternative option.
Next: Oilers’ Star Big Reason Rantanen Traded by Avalanche
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Gord Bennett
January 26, 2025 at 11:48 am
I’ve agreed with this topic in the past and would do so in the future, but let’s be claer it won’t happen at or before the dead line. Quite possibly in the summer if Klingberg passes the tests
NHL Trade Talk
January 26, 2025 at 11:59 am
That’s probably true. I think it’s getting more attention than it ought to because of the Rantanen blockbuster. The timing makes for an interesting narrative that fans can’t get enough of, especially when Bouchard has an iffy outing.
Chris
January 26, 2025 at 4:48 pm
Bouchard really is about the only trade chip that Edmonton holds at this point if they’re serious about getting ready for he playoffs. If they could turn him into a salary-retained deal for Gibson and Marcus Petterson or other such glaring need-pluggers, then I’m listening intently on what the market is ready to do. Who cares if Bouchard makes a great offensive play in exchange for letting three goals walk past him? Defence should play defence. Goalies should stop pucks, especially more than 2 out of the first 5 shots in a game. Winning the cup and clinging onto a crap defenceman who thinks he’s worth $10 million/year just doesn’t make sense with McDavid’s pay boost coming, Leon’s already in the books, and a team that is not built to survive playoff hockey.