If the 2017 playoff run taught us anything, it was that the Oilers were still a bit of an unfinished product. At this point, they were still lacking depth and were largely lacking scoring options outside of Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Likewise in the defence corps, it was a similar story - Darnell Nurse was the only consistent threat to score at this point. Even past his partner Adam Larsson, the right side was particularly lacking. Mike Smith and Mikko Koskinen were the tandem in net, and while they were OK, neither one could really be looked at as a long term solution - although remember Stuart Skinner had been drafted the previous year so help was on the way between the pipes. After a surprise run in the playoffs the previous year, the Oilers lack of depth was exposed and they ended up dropping back out of the playoffs after the 2017-18 season. Clearly more drafting was needed to round out the team. Most of the core for long term success was in place for the most part, but we needed scoring options outside of the big three, on defense, and a better bottom six forward group.
And then there was the problem of Milan Lucic, who was the big name free agent in 2016 and chose to wear the uniform his old buddy from Boston now was in charge of. This is a roster whose problems weren't going to be solved overnight, and it was critical they got this draft right to move things forward. Once again the Oilers found themselves with a top 10 pick. The 2017 draft results are here, while the 2016 draft results are here, and 2015's are here.
Round one - Evan Bouchard, 10th overall
In hindsight it's fair to say that this year was a good draft for defencemen - and if it weren't for the fact Quinn Hughes was taken three picks before Evan Bouchard, he would've been the best of the bunch.
After he tore up the OHL with 25 goals and 87 points in 67 games, Bouchard got a seven game audition with the Oilers where he scored his first NHL goal but was still a little rough around the edges, so the Oilers rightly sent him back to junior to dominate for one more year, thus pushing his ELC up one more year before it counted against the cap. He then wrapped up his junior career with 16 goals and 53 points in 45 games and was eligible to join Bakersfield on their AHL playoff run that year too, putting Bouchard in the unique position of having played games in the NHL, AHL, and OHL all in one season. In that playoff run, he showed early signs of dominating in the minors as well, putting up 3-5-8 in eight games for the Condors. That was followed by a covid-shortened full season in the AHL in which he put up 7-29-36 in 54 games, albeit with a -10. Once the pandemic lockdown was lifted, he went to play where he could, which turned out to be in the Swedish pro leagues, where he put up 17 points in 23 games and improved to a -3. Once the NHL resumed play, it was time for Bouchard to prove he could conquer the top level, and prove it he did, putting up 2-3-5 in 14 games with a -2. Looking improved in all facets of his game, the Oilers that offseason traded for Duncan Keith, who mentored Bouchard on the third pairing and helped him to a 43 point season in his first full season in the NHL.
The following trade deadline the Oilers made a key trade, feeling Bouchard was ready for a bigger role as the PP quarterback but still needing veteran mentorship while at the same time being buried behind Tyson Barrie, the Oilers' incumbent PP quarterback on the first unit, getting all the prime minutes and primetime with the prime forwards. That all changed when the Oilers traded away Barrie as the centerpiece to Nashville in exchange for Mattias Ekholm, elevating Bouchard to the top four D corps. It worked out beautifully as the two men had instant chemistry. Once the Nurse-Cody Ceci pairing lost their chemistry together and started underperforming, Kris Knoblauch elevated this pairing to the top pairing and demoted Nurse-Ceci to the second pairing this past season where both pairings have stayed ever since. Bouchard responded to the extra responsibility and pressure by putting up 18-64-82 with a whopping +34 and continuing on that momentum in the Oilers' run to the finals this past season by putting up 6-26-32 in 25 playoff games. If he plays like this again next season there's no doubt in my mind he'll be a strong candidate for the Vezina trophy as the NHL's best defenceman.
Hit or miss? Hit, massive hit. Man, it feels good for the Oilers to hit on their first round pick for once. First time since McDavid.
Who did the Oilers miss out on? No one is better than who they took. Noah Dobson, a comparable player to Bouchard, who plays the same side and the same role on the Islanders, was picked two picks after Bouchard. Dobson technically has 20 more points in 52 more games in his career than Bouchard at this point in time, but Bouchard is surrounded by a better team and is well known for his cannon of a shot, something I haven't heard about Dobson, so frankly I'm happy with the player the Oilers took. If Bouchard has another big season this upcoming year, I'm sure he'll surpass Dobson in career points. Other honourable mentions go to Joel Farabee (Philadelphia), K'Andre Miller (NY Rangers), Rasmus Sandin (Toronto), and Joe Veleno (Detroit).