Mike Babcock has a real decision to make, and Evan Bouchard sits right in the middle of it.
Babcock took over as Oilers head coach on June 23, inheriting a blue line that carried Edmonton through a wild season.
Bouchard put up 95 points in 82 games this year, then added 7 more points over 6 playoff games against Anaheim.
His $10,500,000 cap hit makes him the highest paid defenseman on the roster, and that kind of money buys him the top pairing no matter who lines up next to him.
Fans have already started debating who that partner should be this fall. Keep Ekholm and Bouchard together? Or spread the size out across two pairs?
Mattias Ekholm quietly posted a team-best plus-32 this season, chipping in 41 points across all 82 games at age 36.
One idea floated widely has Ryan Shea sliding up next to Bouchard, freeing Ekholm for a heavier third pairing role. Shea posted 35 points and a plus-30 rating in 80 games.
Darnell Nurse's roster spot suddenly feels shaky
Breaking up a pairing that just helped carry a 93-point season feels like swapping tires mid-race, technically possible but rarely smart.
Darnell Nurse carries a $9,250,000 cap hit and finished the year at minus-12, the shakiest underlying number among Edmonton's regular defensemen.
If Babcock leans into size on the back end and reshuffles his top four, Nurse becomes the name fans start pointing at.
Jake Walman offers another puck-moving option, posting 20 points in 53 games before adding 4 points across 6 playoff games.
Connor Murphy factored into the mix as well, putting up 17 points in 80 games and 3 more once the playoffs started.
Edmonton finished the regular season 41-30-11 for 93 points, good for second in the division and 14th leaguewide.
The year ended with a 2-5 road loss to Anaheim on April 30, closing out a six-game series against the Ducks.
Babcock hasn't tipped his hand publicly on pairings yet. Training camp will settle it, but Edmonton's blue line battle is already loud.
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Should the Oilers break up Ekholm and Bouchard next season?
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