2018 NHL Draft Prospect Profile: Evan Bouchard

Evan Bouchard is one of the most exciting defensive prospects available at the 2018 NHL Draft

The 2018 NHL Draft is going to be full of some excellent defensemen. Rasmus Dahlin is perhaps the best blueline prospect to come along in roughly 20 years (likely longer). But even past him, there could be as many as five or more defensemen drafted in the top 10. Evan Bouchard is perhaps the most fascinating of the non-Dahlin blueliners.

Bouchard’s stock has been skyrocketing as of late because of his impressive production. He’s been a huge part of the London Knights’ success. Bouchard has everything you want to see in an NHL defenseman.

Prospect Profile

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Height: 6’2″ (188 cm)
Weight: 192 pounds (87 kilograms)
Team: London Knights (OHL)
Country: Canada
Position: Defenseman
Handedness: Right-handed
Date of birth: October 20, 1999
OHL Statistics*: 67 games, 25 goals, 62 assists, 87 points, 54 penalty minutes, +30 plus-minus rating
Average Prospect Ranking**: 9.5

All profile info is courtesy of Elite Prospects.

*Stats are as of March 30, 2018
** Average prospect rankings are the collective average of a prospect’s rankings (McKeen’s, Hockey Prospect, Future Considerations, ISS Hockey)

Strengths

As you can tell from his stats, Bouchard is really impressive with the puck. He has an NHL-ready shot. Bouchard also plays a very strong two-way game, gobbling up a ton of minutes for the Knights. He has everything you look for a power-play quarterback, as he makes crisp passes and isn’t afraid to shoot.

Bouchard, however, is still borderline elite at five-on-five. He has his size going for him, as teams love big-bodied defensemen. There’s a lot to love about Bouchard, who might be the most skilled blueliner in the draft other than Dahlin. And you could argue he’s not that far behind Dahlin.

Weaknesses

I’m a little concerned about his speed. Bouchard has above-average speed, but you really want to see him be a bit of a better skater. He also has inflated point totals because he plays so much. Bouchard plays nearly 30 minutes a night, especially as of late since the Knights got rid of some of their better defensemen.

He’s been struggling defensively lately too. But this is probably more due to fatigue than anything else. Playing nearly 30 minutes a night is tough for anyone, especially a teenager.

Highlights

Overall Outlook

Bouchard’s numbers are admittedly inflated. But when you watch him play, he’s a significant difference maker. Bouchard should be an excellent power-play quarterback for years to come. He might be the second-best defenseman in the draft.

Next: 2018 NHL Mock Draft Version 2.0

Player Comparable

He reminds me a lot of John Carlson, especially with his power play potency. Bouchard has his size, but not quite his speed.

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