$112,000,000 Oilers forward jokes about Evan Bouchard's calm & poise in the biggest stage of hockey, the Stanley Cup Final

By Abhilasha Aditi

Modified Jun 09, 2025 10:38 GMT

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Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl spoke about teammate Evan Bouchard on Sunday after the team's practice at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise.

When asked about Evan Bouchard’s calmness on hockey’s biggest stage, the Stanley Cup Finals, Draisaitl had a light-hearted response and joked that sometimes Bouchard is a bit too relaxed.

"Yeah, I mean sometimes maybe a little too relaxed," Draisaitl said. (6:46). "That’s our joke at least within the room. But he's as elite as it gets. His composure is incredible. He's so calm with the puck. I think he instills a lot of calmness around our room when the puck is on his stick. Obviously there's a lot of trust in him. He's just a great player."

Bouchard’s calm play has been useful for the Oilers in pressure situations. In Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final, he scored a goal, had two assists, blocked four shots and took eight shots on goal. He has been one of the Oilers’ most productive players this postseason, with seven goals, 14 assists and a plus-11 rating over 18 games.

Draisaitl signed an eight-year, $112 million contract extension with the Oilers in September 2024. He has been a major offensive force for them in the last few seasons and led the league in goals, with 52, this season. He also had a strong Game 2, scoring a power-play goal and adding an assist to extend his point streak to eight games.

The Oilers will rely on both Draisaitl’s scoring and Bouchard’s steady play as the Stanley Cup Final continues in Florida.

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Connor McDavid pointed to Evan Bouchard's defensive improvement

Oilers captain Connor McDavid was also a part of the two first-period goals, where Evan Bouchard and Leon Draisaitl were involved. He spoke about Evan Bouchard’s strong defensive progress and said that he has always been good on offense.

"Well, I think it's got to be just his defensive detail," McDavid said (1:27). "You know, a guy that's always understood the offensive side, and, you know, makes great play after great play.

"You know, just to see him dig in defensively in his own zone, take on a role in the penalty kill, it's been impressive to see. You know, he's been really, really solid."

In Game 2, McDavid had three assists and seven shots. He also assisted on Corey Perry’s tying goal in the third period. He now has points in seven straight playoff games. McDavid has six goals and 25 assists in 18 playoff games, leading the Oilers in playoff points.