The Oilers have a big Connor McDavid contract negotiation looming but cannot trade Evan Bouchard to make it work.

The only men on the Oilers roster who play a prominent position and are mid-20s are Evan Bouchard (25) and Stuart Skinner (26). None of that is out of time with the rest of the NHL. A team with a strong chance to win the Stanley Cup will often have a large swath of the roster in the age 28-32 range.

Oilers' Evan Bouchard: Scores empty-netter

Publish Date: Today, 09:47 PM ETDuration: 00:35

Edmonton Oilers defenseman Evan Bouchard (2) takes down Tampa Bay Lightning center Michael Eyssimont in front of goaltender Stuart Skinner and defenseman Mattias Ekholm (14) during the second period o

Edmonton Oilers' Evan Bouchard plays during an NHL hockey game, Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/)

Brayden Point and Evan Bouchard will be two of the best players to keep an eye on when the Tampa Bay Lightning play the Edmonton Oilers at Amalie Arena on Tuesday, February 25 at 7:30 PM ET. Buy tickets for this matchup at StubHub!

When the Oilers win, Evan Bouchard is typically involved in the offense. That should be the case in both respects this Sunday with Edmonton drawing the Capitals backup netminder, as our NHL betting picks explain.

The Oilers have a big Connor McDavid contract negotiation looming but cannot trade Evan Bouchard to make it work.

Defenseman Evan Bouchard was one of the Edmonton Oilers‘ most scrutinized players early in the season. The 6-foot-3 blueliner is coming off a breakout 82-point season, with many expecting him to earn a big payday on his next contract.

The Edmonton Oilers already lost two players to offer sheets last season, and these season they'll have two more quality RFAs exposed to offer sheets: Evan Bouchard and Ty Emberson.

Edmonton Oilers' general manager Stan Bowman has defended top defenseman Evan Bouchard from criticism, arguing it is often unfair and magnified by the spotlight. Bowman highlights Bouchard's role in driving the team's offense,