The Edmonton Oilers have decided to negotiate with all five of their pending restricted free agents, issuing qualifying offers to Ryan McLeod, Raphael Lavoie, Noah Philp, Evan Bouchard, and Olivier Rodrigue.
According to CapFriendly’s qualifying offer calculator, that means each received the following:
- Evan Bouchard: One-way, $874,125
- Raphael Lavoie: Two-way, $874,125
- Ryan McLeod: One-way, $837,900
- Noah Philp: Two-way, $787,500
- Olivier Rodrigue: Two-way, $787,500
For Bouchard and McLeod, in particular, this comes as no surprise. Each has become an important part of the Oilers’ lineup, giving them the depth needed to advance further in the playoffs.
Bouchard, 23, registered his second straight 40+ point season in 2022-23, effectively making Tyson Barrie redundant enough to trade at the deadline. The 10th overall pick from 2018 has grown into one of the most effective puck-movers in the league and showed off some incredible vision in this year’s postseason, racking up four goals and 17 points in just 12 games.
McLeod, meanwhile, grew into a valuable depth center option this season, scoring 11 goals and 23 points in 57 games. His elite skating ability and tenacity make him a nice fit on a third line, and his offensive number are trending upward. He was held goalless in the playoffs but still contributed five points, playing mostly in a defensive role.
Despite the Oilers’ release indicating otherwise, it is actually McLeod—not Bouchard—that is eligible for arbitration this summer, according to CapFriendly. The young forward is a candidate for a bridge deal, given the tight nature of the Edmonton cap situation.
The other three, Lavoie, Philp, and Rodrigue, have yet to make their NHL debuts are will likely be retained on short-term two-way deals to maintain organizational depth.
What can Bouchard do, if he’s not satisfied with that qualifying offer?