The 22-year-old is in his first season as a regular after being on the taxi squad most of last season. Keith is a decorated veteran who won the Stanley Cup three times for the Chicago Blackhawks (2010, 2013, 2015) and awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player of the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2015. He was named one of the 100 Greatest NHL Players (https://www.nhl.com/fans/nhl-centennial/100-greatest-nhl-players/) during the NHL Centennial celebration in 2017.
"He's really easy to talk to, really easy going," Bouchard said. "In the game, he is an intense person, and he wants to be a perfectionist, kind of, and I think that's what's kept him around, what's made him great for so many years."
Bouchard's introduction to the lineup is a key piece to the ongoing draft-and-develop upgrades the Oilers envision. Acquiring Keith in a trade with the Blackhawks on July 12, 2021 was intended to benefit the entire roster with a Stanley Cup champion's experience and savvy. Paired with Keith for most of the season, Bouchard is getting the most hands-on support.
"A huge thing is communication," Bouchard said. "After every shift and between periods, he's always wanting to help me help us as a pair. It's big. On some plays, he'll look it over [on video] by himself first before talking to me, and then make some comments and that really helps me grow as a person and it helps us as a pair. That's the biggest thing with him.
"When he's sees things, and he's been through it all, he knows the best parts to talk to me about."
Keith has scored 19 points (one goal, 18 assists) in 58 games this season and 644 points (106 goals, 538 assists) in 1,250 games over 17 NHL seasons. The 38-year-old said Bouchard's offensive abilities, puck-moving skills and intelligent approach to the game is making his own job easier. The more difficult part, without the puck, is getting the most attention.