NHL Draft 2018: Edmonton Oilers select Evan Bouchard with 10th pick

Rudi Schuller

NHL Draft 2018: Edmonton Oilers select Evan Bouchard with 10th pick image

The Edmonton Oilers selected Evan Bouchard with the 10th pick in the 2018 NHL Draft.

A defenceman for the OHL's London Knights, Bouchard had a breakout season in 2017-18 with 87 points (25 goals, 62 assists) and was a plus-23 in 67 games played. His offensive output nearly doubled from the previous campaign.

The Oakville, Ont., native's growth convinced the Oilers to take Bouchard in the top 10.

In addition to his growing numbers, Bouchard served as London's captain during his most-recent season in the OHL. He credits his leadership duties on a younger Knights team as part of a maturing process that will help him down the road.

"It was different for me, but I think it was a good experience to really get the feel for it," he said. "But the coaching staff, management, they did a great job in picking up young talent.
 
"So a lot of people counted us out. We thought to ourselves, ‘We have nothing to lose here,’ so making everyone comfortable in the room and everyone wanting to win, I think that helped us a lot."

Bouchard knows the leap from juniors to the NHL is a big one, but he's confident in his ability to make the transition.

"For me, I’m just trying to take it one step at a time. Enjoy the process," he said. "I know there’s a lot of stuff to work on for next season, but the goal for me is to go into main camp ready and turn heads from there and go from there."

Rudi Schuller