Ask any NHL goalie, and they’ll tell you Evan Bouchard‘s notorious slap shot is among their worst nightmares. The “Bouch Bomb” places the Oilers’ defenseman in the League’s 99th percentile in terms of top shot speed, making him one of the most revered blueline stars in the NHL. Naturally, Edmonton was eager to retain the 25-year-old with his restricted free agency looming overhead. But their keenness might have had something to do with Bouchard being on the Carolina Hurricanes’ radar.
Bouchard finished the 2024-25 postseason with 23 points in 22 games. Suffices to say that the Oilers’ #2 had a pretty swell postseason despite Edmonton suffering yet another heartbreak at the hands of the Panthers in the Stanley Cup Finals. Naturally, with his RFA kicking in on July 1, many franchises had eyes on the Oakville, Ontario, native. Quite possibly, that was exactly what prompted his current team to revise the terms of Bouchard’s new contract.
As per an X post by B/R Open Ice from July 7, NHL insider Elliotte Friedman suggests that the Canes were the main reason behind Bouchard’s current 4-year $10.5 million AAV contract with the Oilers. “Before Evan Bouchard signed an extension in Edmonton, Carolina reportedly threatened to offer sheet him, per @FriedgeHNIC,” the social media update notes.
Bouchard’s contract-extending deal was carried out on June 30, just a day before RFA came into effect. Apparently, the Hurricanes had a lot of free cap space, especially with ex-Toronto star Mitch Marner deciding to head to Vegas instead of Carolina. Obviously, the Canes’ offer sheet to Evan made it necessary for the Oilers to revise their initial $9.5million AAV contract to get Bouchard to stick around for another tenure.
Before Evan Bouchard signed an extension in Edmonton, Carolina reportedly threatened to offer sheet him, per @FriedgeHNIC
Bouchard’s extension was expected to be for four years with a $9.5M AAV but the Oilers signed him to a larger contract to avoid the offer sheet. pic.twitter.com/e72rDJys5f
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) July 7, 2025
The story is developing
The post Carolina Hurricanes’ Alleged Threat Forced Oilers to Make Changes to Evan Bouchard’s Contract appeared first on EssentiallySports.
