That \$9.5 million AAV contract Noah Dobson signed with the Montreal Canadiens after being traded from the New York Islanders could serve as a benchmark for Evan Bouchard’s upcoming negotiations with the Edmonton Oilers.
It’s uncertain whether Bouchard is interested in committing to an eight-year deal like Dobson did — there’s speculation he may prefer something shorter, perhaps around four years, to monitor how the salary cap evolves. The two are very comparable: both are right-shot, offensively skilled defencemen, both 25 years old and drafted in 2018 — Bouchard 10th overall, Dobson 12th.
Their regular-season production is nearly identical. Bouchard has tallied 238 points in 347 games for Edmonton, while Dobson has 230 points in 388 games for the Islanders, and he’s done so without the luxury of playing alongside talents like Connor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl.
Bouchard also stands out in playoff performance, with 72 points over the last three postseasons — a factor that could push his asking price closer to the \$10 million range.
As for the Islanders, it’s puzzling that they opted to move their top defenceman, especially so quickly and after a down year with just 39 points. In return, they received third-line winger Emil Heineman and the 16th and 17th overall picks — prospects who are probably at least three years away from making an NHL impact, which seems like a questionable move for a team entering a rebuild.
Leave a Reply