Talks on new deal ‘nothing too painful’ for Edmonton Oilers defenceman Evan Bouchard

By Canadian Press on July 1, 2025.

EDMONTON — The hurt of losing the Stanley Cup to the Florida Panthers is still raw for Evan Bouchard and the Edmonton Oilers.

After signing a new, four-year deal, though, Bouchard is looking ahead to getting yet another chance at hockey’s biggest prize.

“We’re going to have a lot of the same guys back. Everyone’s going to be that much hungrier. Everyone knows that we have what it takes, we just need to give a little bit more,” the star defenceman said Tuesday. “So I’m excited. The Oilers and myself have a good chance in years to come.”

The Oilers announced Bouchard’s new US$42-million deal on Monday, just a day before the 25-year-old blueliner from Oakville, Ont., was set to become a restricted free agent.

Carrying an average annual value of $10.5 million, the contract is a substantial raise on his previous $3.9-million cap hit.

Getting the new deal done was “an exciting process,” Bouchard said.

“Nothing too painful. … And we’re happy where we are,” he said.

“We kind of just decided four years was a good term for myself, good term for the Oilers.”

Bouchard, drafted 10th overall by the Oilers in 2018, broke out with 18 goals and 64 assists across 81 games in 2023-24 before adding 32 points in 25 games during the playoffs.

Last season, he tallied 23 points in 22 playoff games after a 67-point regular season.

Only Bobby Orr (1.243) has a higher points-per-game average among defencemen than Bouchard’s 1.08 in the post-season.

The six-foot-three, 192-pound athlete has been working on the defensive side of his game in recent years, and said his goal moving forward is to play with more consistency.

“I think over the last season or two, I’ve really focused on the defensive side of things,” Bouchard said. “Especially later in the season, come playoff time, that’s the most important thing is to keep the puck out of the net. So I think my game’s just going to keep getting better, keep growing on both sides.”

Edmonton made space for Bouchard’s new deal — and a potential contract extension for superstar captain Connor McDavid — by subtracting from its roster.

The Oilers dealt left-winger Viktor Arvidsson and his $4-million cap hit to the Boston Bruins on Tuesday for a fifth-round pick in the 2027 NHL entry draft.

Arvidsson, 32, had 15 goals and 12 assists in 67 regular-season games for Edmonton last season, and added another seven points (two goals, five assists) in 15 playoff appearances before the Oilers lost to the Florida Panthers in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup final.

The five-foot-10, 185-pound Swedish forward signed with Edmonton as a free agent in July 2024 following stints with the L.A. Kings and Nashville Predators.

Arvidsson was originally selected by Nashville in the fourth round (112th overall) of the 2014 draft and has amassed 194 goals and 195 assists over 613 regular-season games.

Edmonton also shipped winger Evander Kane to the Vancouver Canucks last week.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 1, 2025.

The Canadian Press