Evan Bouchard's Next Deal Projected to be 3x Less Than Darnell Nurse's

According to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman on the 32 Thoughts podcast, the deal is likely to fall in the range of $3.5 million to $4 million.

Bouchard's impressive performance, with more games played and points than Bowen Byram of the Colorado Avalanche, who signed a two-year bridge deal with a $3.85 million average annual value, justifies the potential contract value. Bouchard, 23, had consecutive seasons with 40+ points and led all NHL defensemen in playoff scoring, tallying 17 points in just 12 games.