Oilers loan Bouchard to Sweden for start of 2020-21 season

The Edmonton Oilers have loaned defensive prospect Evan Bouchard to Sodertalje SK of the Swedish HockeyAllsvenskan for the start of the 2020-21 season, the team announced Tuesday.

HockeyAllsvenskan is the second-highest league in Sweden. With no official start date for the next NHL season and the AHL beginning in early December, several teams are sending young players overseas to stay in game shape.

The Oilers also loaned forward Gaetan Haas to SC Bern of the Swiss National League.

Edmonton took Bouchard 10th overall in the 2018 draft. He played seven games with the club to start the corresponding season before being sent back to the OHL's London Knights.

Bouchard racked up 36 points in 54 games for the AHL's Bakersfield Condors this past campaign.