Projection: Top 4 Defender
Projectable Skills: Patience under pressure, shot accuracy
Development Opportunities: pace of his motions, quick cuts/explosivity to escape, defensive details

Whenever I’ve watched Aden play, he’s been partnered with another outstanding defender which helps his style of puck movement and possession. He loves joining the rush quietly in spots, receiving and giving passes along the wall in order to step into closer shooting lanes. There are moments where you can easily think that the understanding of the game truly comes easy to him from a systems perspective. He can seem patient and calm in one moment but then nonchalant in the next depending on how things are unfolding. That is because he is not an explosive skater and relies on the control rather than his quick adjustments positionally. He can put up highlight reel escape moves down low by banking a puck off the back of the net in order to escape pressure but has to do so because his cuts to escape aren’t fierce. Still, it works way more than it doesn’t. He’s a player who benefits a lot from structure and from teammates holding onto the puck and his passing timing, shot choices, and the ways he passes in high-pressure situations is improving. I think the biggest area of improvement for him will be his details in his defensive work. His efforts to improve consistency in his defensive stick and his physicality in maintaining positioning will go a long way. I thought the Alberta Cup event was good for him to show his offensive side while his two-way although improved, was inconsistent. He could certainly develop into a top pair and top-PP player though. His hockey sense is something most teams crave.

An offensive defender who comes alive in transition and on the PP. He has a quick reaction time to shift his balance laterally when he’s a puck carrier and looks for positive outlet passes and spots to step into his strong shot release from the point. If the engagement and anticipation he shows offensively can filter more often situationally into his defensive play, he could be a true gem.

I think Aden is quite the unique defender in this draft class based on his demeanor and high-end strengths. He’s so relaxed with his skating motions; drifting and floating around the offensive zone, and carefully watching the play unfold in order to react accordingly. It means he’s dangerous offensively if pucks squeeze out to him or he has the time and space to coordinate his passing and shot actions. That calm demeanor comes in handy when under pressure as a puck carrier through the neutral zone or with the puck on his stick in key offensive situations. He is able to react and adjust to stick pressure and find shot lanes when he needs to. The downside of his style is that you’d like to see him dominate more consistently since he has the processing and offensive capabilities. If he was to set the pace and the urgency with quicker explosions and using his long stride to attack, he’d be absolutely feared. With some added urgency, I think his defensive stops and his offensive numbers would both jump. The biggest value of a player like this is to be that confident, poised, efficient PP quarterback at the next levels.

His play got to be a little bit more quiet when paired with Landon Dupont but you can still see how effective he can be with a long stride, high-IQ in offensive situations, and sneaking into the zone into shooting lanes off puck. It was quite odd to see the both of them playing give-and-go into the high slot as the two defenders. Usually when one pinches then the other stays back to be the reserved one but that’s not how they decided to play, especially when they were losing control of the scoreboard. Aden is big, agile, and certainly knows how to turn play around very quickly through efficient passes and strong snap. In an event like this, his shot stood out as one of the best from the blueline too. The reason he didn’t end up higher on the list was just some inconsistent gap control and letting players deeper in the zone when his active stick could have been the difference maker. He’s a high potential player who is certainly a first-round projected player for the WHL draft currently.

I found the quality of defenders at initial viewings of this 2009 class to be strong, and Aden Bouchard being ranked this high amongst all those involved in the tournament is very impressive. A very mobile skater in all aspects, he positions himself well when defending the rush, can make quick lateral movements to stick with the puck carrier attempting to go wide, taking away their ice and ultimately denying a zone entry or forcing a turnover. With only a few strides and crossovers he can build speed to cut off plays and intercept pucks, equally as quick to move the puck under his own power, he can elude forecheckers and burst by them with a strong forward stride in transition out of his defensive end. When defending the rush, he did a great job at intercepting passes and deflecting centering passes through the middle of the ice, a nice combination of awareness and hand eye coordination made it very difficult to thread pucks by him. His mobility paired up with some soft hands and puck touches in the offensive zone opened up lanes and space for him to work with, shifting along the half wall and going for the occasional skate around the zone with the puck, when he decided to activate from high in the zone it was often because he saw a seam or lane he went to take advantage of. As a whole Bouchard was just a very aware player in all senses of the game, with-and-without the puck.

There must be a comfortability between Landon and Aden to attack off the rush and trade chances on who will be the aggressor off puck. I thought Aden was using the extension of his reach to make passes deeper in the zone once he had pinched in a bit. He can adjust that passing angle and use his size to his advantage. At this point in time, I do like the evidence of his offensive potential more than I like the detailing of his defensive game. I think as the season wears on, I’ll be watching to see the consistency of his poke checks, swipes, and making each entry harder on opponents in his own zone. Still, a good game from him.

The last viewing I had of Aden, I felt he was a little subdued despite showing all season long last year that he could be a top performer from the backend for the 2024 WHL Draft. He really impressed in this game as he slipped into one-timer space, used the smooth crossover to maintain gaps defensively, and used that powerful stride and his reach to negate chances. I think as far as what teams are looking for in a two-way defender, Aden has all that potential. Size, speed, physicality, reach, defensive detailing, and timely stick pokes. I think in the moments where Landon took the wheel, it allowed Aden to be the perfect defensive partner and wait for his shots to slip deeper in the zone to shoot.