Oilers get lucky with Bouchard at No. 10
Edmonton addresses need with offensive right-handed defenceman of OHL London
DALLAS — Evan Bouchard has already started thinking about passing the puck to Connor McDavid.
The Edmonton Oilers selected the defenceman 10th overall in the first round of the NHL draft on Friday, filling a need on the blue line with the slick 18-year-old from Oakville, Ont.
“For me, I’m just trying to take it one step and a time (and) enjoy the process,” said Bouchard. “I know there’s a lot of stuff to work on for next season.
“The goal for me is to go into main camp ready and turn heads from there.”
Bouchard led all Ontario Hockey League defenders with 87 points (25 goals, 62 assists) in 67 games for the London Knights in 2017-18. That was also good enough for eighth overall in the OHL scoring race.
He said he’s looking forward to one day finding McDavid, the Oilers’ star captain, with breakaway feeds.
“Edmonton’s got a lot of skill up front,” Bouchard said. “That fits well with my game.”
The 6-foot-2, 196-pound Bouchard was London’s captain this season, and won the league title as an OHL rookie in 2015-16 alongside current NHLers Mitch Marner of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Christian Dvorak of the Arizona Coyotes, Matthew Tkachuk of the Calgary Flames and Victor Mete of the Montreal Canadiens.
Bouchard has been likened to Washington Capitals defenceman John Carlson, but downplayed that comparison.
“It’s a lot of work to become the player he is,” Bouchard said. “It’s someone I enjoy watching.”