Oilers nab Evan Bouchard with 10th overall pick

The Edmonton Oilers landed the top-ranked North American defenseman in the 2018 draft, selecting Evan Bouchard 10th overall Friday night in Dallas.

Position: Defense
Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 192 lbs
Age: 18
Club: London (OHL)
Nationality: Canadian

(Stats courtesy: Prospect-stats.com)

Bouchard established himself as one of the most gifted offensive blue-liners available in his second season with the Knights, leading the club with 87 points (eighth in the OHL).

He isn't as flashy as Rasmus Dahlin, but he has great hockey sense and passing ability. His vision and penchant for hanging on to the puck until the right moment creates countless opportunities for his linemates.

"An incredibly smart player, Bouchard reads the ice at a high level, anticipating plays developing around him when he doesn't have the puck and making difficult plays look simple when he does. His passing skills, in particular, are excellent and have improved considerably over the past season. He has an impressive (and accurate) array of shots, with slap shots and wrist shots already approaching NHL caliber, and a quick release."
- Hannah Stuart, theScore

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