The Edmonton Oilers on Monday signed veteran defenseman Evan Bouchard, 25, to a four-year contract, according to multiple reports, avoiding free agency with one of their most valued blueliners who helped the club to back-to-back Western Conference titles.

It’d be easy to look at Evan Bouchard’s new contract with a gaping mouth. It’d be simpler still, now that he’s set to become the NHL’s fourth-highest-paid defenseman, to fret about what that means for the Edmonton Oilers’ chances of competing for the Stanley Cup not only next season but for years to come.

The Edmonton Oilers and No. 1 defenceman Evan Bouchard have agreed to a contract: four years with a $10.5 million cap hit. Oil Country is getting the 25-year-old on an affordable salary through the 2028–29 campaign.