Evan Bouchard signed a four-year, $42 million contract with the Edmonton Oilers on Monday. It has an average annual value of $10.5 million
The 25-year-old defenseman had 67 points (14 goals, 53 assists) in 82 regular-season games for the Oilers this season and 23 points (seven goals, 16 assists) in 22 Stanley Cup Playoff games. He could have become a restricted free agent on Tuesday.
"We kind of decided four years was a good term for myself a good term for the Oilers," Bouchard said Tuesday. "It was an exciting process. It was nothing too painful."
Selected by Edmonton in the first round (No. 10) of the 2018 NHL Draft, Bouchard has 238 points (55 goals, 183 assists) in 347 regular-season games and 81 points (20 goals, 61 assists) in 75 playoff games.
Bouchard is tied for second all-time in points per game among defensemen in the playoffs (1.08, minimum 15 games), behind only Bobby Orr (1.24).
"Definitely, that's the goal for myself and the organization and everybody else in the locker room is to win the Stanley Cup," Bouchard said. "A lot of teams say that, but I really do think the Oilers and myself, we have the pieces to do that. We've shown that in the last couple of years, we're just a fraction off and we just have to figure that out. We have the opportunity to get it done."
On Monday, the Oilers also signed forward Kasperi Kapanen signed a one-year, $1.3 million contract.
The 28-year-old had 14 points (six goals, eight assists) in 67 regular-season games for the Oilers and St. Louis Blues this season, including 13 points (five goals, eight assists) in 57 games with Edmonton after he was claimed off waivers on Nov. 19. He could have become an unrestricted free agent on Tuesday.
NHL.com staff writer Derek Van Diest contributed to this report
