NHL insider Elliotte Friedman revealed the reason the Oilers signed one of their star players so quickly was that the Hurricanes threatened them with an offer sheet. <a href='https://www.hockeylatest.com/nhl-team/edmonton-oilers/edmonton-oilers-finalizing-a-major-extension-with-star-defenseman-evan-bouchard' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>The Edmonton Oilers moved quickly this summer</a>, signing defenseman Evan Bouchard to a new contract, and now we know why. On a recent episode of the '32 Thoughts' podcast, NHL insider Elliotte Friedman told the story of how the Carolina Hurricanes threatened to sign him to an offer sheet, prompting Edmonton to act hastily. Carolina did a lot of things that are now coming to the surface to show that they were willing to be aggressive, Friedman said. The reason Evan Bouchard's extension got done in Edmonton so quickly was because they threatened the Oilers with an offer sheet. <div align='center' class='pl20 pr20'><blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'><a href='https://twitter.com/FriedgeHNIC/status/1941845874583244997'><div style='border:1px solid #CCCCCC;border-radius:10px;padding:20px;width:300px;'>Loading from Twitter ...</div></a></blockquote></div> While the offer sheet was never in the offing, the threat was enough to alter the situation. Rather than negotiating an eight-year extension, the <a href='https://www.nhl.com/news/evan-bouchard-signs-four-year-contract-to-remain-with-edmonton-oilers' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>Oilers signed a four-year, $42 million deal with Bouchard</a>. Edmonton had apparently sought a complete eight years, but the pressure required by Carolina's bid forced the Oilers into taking the shorter term Bouchard's camp had sought. <h3>Carolina's threat also increased Bouchard's annual salary</h3> Friedman also noted that early projections placed the annual average value (AAV) of <a href='https://www.nhl.com/oilers/player/evan-bouchard-8480803' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>Bouchard</a> at around $9.5 million. But the Carolina pressure raised it to $10.5 million per year. General manager Stan Bowman acknowledged the Oilers' hope was to sign Bouchard to a max-term deal, but the 24-year-old defenseman wanted to roll the dice on himself and the emerging salary cap. We certainly were hoping to do an eight-year deal, but that was never really in the cards, Bowman said. I guess in the negotiations, an eight-year term was really never in the cards. A four-year term gives Bouchard the opportunity to become a free agent again before he turns 30, potentially cashing in on his next contract. Bouchard comes off of a career-best year, posting 67 points in 82 regular-season games and then a dominating 23 points in 22 playoff contests.