How Bouchard & Dobson does not support the fan base of the Oilers and Islanders – Hockey Writer – New York Islanders

According to the person you asked, Evan Bouchard and Noah Dobson were great or bad. They are great two-way players, taking their defense and roster to the next level completely! Both are liabilities on the defensive end of Ice! Bouchard and Dobson are excellent skating defenders with lots of skills! They are always in position and have no sense of hockey! Two-way defender! They are not defenders, they are forwards!

Related: Projector Oilman’s 2025 playoff lineup: Who is going out with whom?

Both basic and advanced numbers show that both are great. Since joining the NHL, Dobson has scored 46 goals and 172 assists, while contributing 22.4 defensive points shares. Bouchard has 54 goals and 169 assists and has 22.2 defensive points in stock. The common reaction to this is to “watch the game” and if you do, you’ll find both skateboard teams on the ice, bringing them attention and despite their struggles, they’re usually the players who lead the team to victory.

There is no way to solve it. Bouchard and Dobson are polarizing defensemen, especially Dobson, have gained a lot of calories this season in the season where he suffered injuries and took a step back. Both are lightning rods and catalysts for success in their team’s struggle. After this season, they are also young and restricted free agents (RFAs). The question is how the Edmonton Oilers and New York Islanders’ fan base (at least a large part) disappointed with the defenseman who showed a high rise, two skaters entered the league with a different score, but had an uncertain future with their team.

Dobson is good, not very good

Dobson’s offensive skills are good, but not enough to make up for his game on the defensive end. Of course, he is one of the best defenders on the Islanders, as great skaters make mistakes and turn into scoring opportunities in another way. But, in recent years, he is not an islander fan to grow into a batsman or hard hitter in recent years.

Dobson can score points from the public viewing of distance, but he rarely drives to attack. It explains why his highest career goals in his career is 13 years old, in 2021-22 and 2022-23. If he was a defender who could carry out an offense and create a target, there wouldn’t be any offense and the Islanders would be fine. He is not that kind of player.

Ultimately, this makes Dobson a frustrating player. He is a local prospect that has experienced a highly anticipated system. Whether it was Andy Greene or Zdeno Chara, they could make up for their own growth pain early in his career, but he was entering his golden age, but the reality is that he was good, but nothing special. Quinn Hughes, Cale Makar and Adam Fox did it, but he wasn’t the same class of defensive players, and he got into the league.

Bouchard makes fans wonder what will happen

Bouchard must be a key part of the Oilers, which is one of the main reasons why they entered the playoffs last season. The truth is, he isn’t the only reason the Oilers enter the playoffs. They did it in the elite talent of the forward unit and a defense with three excellent matches. Bushad is good, but can’t be done by one person.

Then the offseason came, and the Oilers didn’t re-sign Philip Broberg, and also traded Cody Sisi. The news from the front desk is clear. They will trust Bouchard as the defender who can carry the force. He has shown that he can be a top-notch option, and without depth, he will be asked to do more.

Bushad could only do a lot of things alone. The Oiler, of course, is seeing what Boulberg did to the St. Louis Blues and on an affordable contract. Would this team be better if Broberg and Cecy were on defense and Bouchard traded in the offseason? There is no way to know, but this question is enough to turn a 25-year-old defense into a scapegoat.

Is Bushad awesome? Yes. Is he enough to carry defense? no. Should the Oilers pay him whatever he asks for during the offseason, or trade him in the summer to a team willing to pay him (and teams like the Chicago Blackhawks)? This is a debate.

How is the future of Bouchard & Dobson

Islanders and oilers must figure out how they will browse the salary cap. The hats were on the rise in each of the next three seasons, but that didn’t keep them as flexible as young defensive players. Plus, since both are RFAs, a team can invest a lot of money into them, just like the quotes given to Broberg and Dylan Holloway last season.

The Oiler must keep Connor McDavid’s contract in mind. He is a free agent after next season and will be the highest-paid player in the NHL. His contract will force the Oilers to sign a contract, and Leon Draisaitl’s big power will take effect next season. Expanding Busard puts them in tight hat state and makes things worse, they have no other defender to turn to their weight. Full-time defense attorney Mattias Ekholm is 34 years old and when his contract ended, he was too old to sign for a long time. Otherwise, the team stared at the unknowns of an older Nurse Darnell, Brett Kulak and Jake Walman (free agent after this season).

At the same time, islanders must figure out where they are at their core are what the future looks like and what possible transformations are. It’s Bo Horvat, Mathew Barzal and Ilya Sorokin, but who can build a defender? Alexander Romanov is also RFA, so the islanders can pay him and Dobson at the same time, but if they have to choose one, it may be Romanov, who is the better skater on the ice defensive end.

Both Bouchard and Dobson have completed key seasons in their careers, which will determine if they are part of the team’s long-term plan. Do you think Bouchard and Dobson will remain part of the long-term plan for the Oilers and Islanders? Let us know in the comments section below!