Adam wrote on Mon, 26 April 2021 15:22

Kr55 wrote on Mon, 26 April 2021 15:08 RDOilerfan wrote on Mon, 26 April 2021 15:04 Kr55 wrote on Mon, 26 April 2021 14:46 RDOilerfan wrote on Mon, 26 April 2021 14:42 Kr55 wrote on Mon, 26 April 2021 14:30 Daniel Nugent-Bowman @DNBsports "If you're a young guy, you want to get thrown into the fire, so you might as well embrace it." -- Dave Tippett on Ryan McLeod getting into games during a playoff race. Bouchard: I keep asking the question every single time Bouchard is brought up. Who are you sitting? Nurse - Barrie Kulikov - Larsson Jones - Bear They just got rid of Russell so there isn't that choice anymore. So who? There were many periods with Jones/Bear struggling badly where he could have got games. We've also had periods where we barely played our depth lines and could have iced 7 D like many teams have done this season. Tippett has done some ridiculous lineup decisions in the name of making sure players don't sit too long, yet that doesn't apply at all for Bouchard. The takeaway for me is simply that Tippett doesn't trust Bouchard as a player yet or he would have made an effort to get some play time in for him. So, he really shouldn't be up here. You are right, Tippett doesn't appear to trust Bouchard at the moment. His focus as it should be is to win games, push for a division title, push for the playoffs and try to go far in the playoffs. Not to please fans who want to see a rookie fumble and stumble his way in the NHL like rookie dmen do. Now take it for what it's worth, according to Stauffer and Gregor which I heard on their shows, the Oilers did approach Bouchard and his agent, ask if he wanted to go down to play and he said his preference is to practice and be with the team because he thinks he gets more out of it. Maybe Stauffer lies for the team but I don't think Gregor does so I assume his information is legit. Now the organization has every right to say "screw what you want Evan, we are shipping you down" but it looks as though it's a coin flip as to what's best for him in their opinion so they are erroring on the side of keeping the player happy. Personally, and this isn't sticking up for their decisions because I am a big fan of Bouchard but I want them to win games and win as many games as they can. I want them to finish as high in the standings as possible. I want them to set themselves and their defense pairings up to give them the best chance to win in the playoffs. So I am not interesting in using playing time to develop Bouchard in the NHL, this isn't a development league. They should be playing to WIN. I look at the team and in the playoffs, I do not see Bouchard playing a minute unless injuries happen. Their best chance on defense in my opinion is to play the 6 I listed. So if Jones and Bear need to bumble along at times to iron out their games to that when playoffs hit, they are ready and going which it appears are pretty close finally, that's what they should do. If later in the year say that last week with all those make up games, the Oilers position is solidified and they want to thrown in Bouchard for a game or 2 in a meaningless game, then go for it. But now is not the time in my opinion. Would be interesting if they did ask Bouch if he wanted to go down. Aside from the practice I think the salary is also ~12 times better if he can make it up to the NHL list here and there :) Guess we agree on why Bouch isn't playing. Just gotta hope his development isn't being hurt by this. And would suck if he has to fill in and play lots of minutes in a panic and he has to go in ice cold. My biggest issue is that trust should not be an issue based on what Bouchard did when in the lineups. One of the strongest performances on the team for on-ice metrics. Some sheltered icetime for sure, and he wasn't getting much special team work, but it's not like he was bleeding chances. The weird thing for me is that the Oilers game him more of a push when he WAS bleeding chances in his first stint under McLellan...

Ended up a small sample size. One that the eye test of the worst events could easily cancel out stats showing a positive impact on the flow of play in our favor. I think some missed assignments in the last game he played has left an unfortunate memory in the coaches mind.

"We need to get better immediately. That starts today"
- Lowe, 2013

"Next year I would forecast as another developmental year"
- MacT, 2015

5 x $5,000,000