The Edmonton Oilers will need to re-sign defenceman Evan Bouchard at the end of the season as a restricted free agent, and President Jeff Jackson recently commented on the negotiations after a non-committal statement from GM Stan Bowman.
Last week, Stan Bowman sounded very reluctant to even re-sign Bouchard, saying "whether we will or not, I'm not sure." Now, it seems President Jeff Jackson is clearing the air.
In a recent interview with Oilers insider Bob Stauffer, Jackson said that the team is in discussions with Bouchard's agent, and that they need to come together and negotiate.
"We gotta get something done with Bouch at some point. Obviously I have a long relationship with Dave Gagner, his agent at some point when it's appropriate - you don't just say this is the day we're gonna negotiate, you're just talking along. We've been talking to Dave. Same thing with Connor."- Jeff Jackson
Oilers President Jeff Jackson Updates Evan Bouchard and Connor McDavid Contract Talks
It's good to hear for Oilers fans that Jackson seems committed to a constant dialogue and retaining the young elite defenceman. Also interesting is Jackson highlighting his close relationship with Dave Gagner, the father of longtime Oiler Sam Gagner.
Hopefully with this close relationship and Jackson's experience as a player agent, the Oilers will be able to get Bouchard locked up long term at a manageable price.
At the beginning of the season, Bouchard's asking price was expected to be $10M or more on a long-term deal. His offensive production has dropped just a tick so far this season from last, but he'll still be worth that full value.
Jackson also quickly dropped that the Oilers are in constant discussions with Connor McDavid for the details of his next contract. There's little doubt that he won't re-sign in Edmonton, especially after his interview last week stressing his want to win. Whatever McDavid commands in salary, the Oilers will offer up.
Oilers fans will be incredibly fortunate if the team is able to lock up these two core players long-term. With this amount of talent, the first Stanley Cup in the McDavid era Oilers can't be far behind.
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