After a rough first month of the 2025-26 season, Evan Bouchard is playing some of the best regular season hockey we’ve seen from him. The Edmonton Oilers defenceman is putting together one of the best offensive seasons in recent memory with 20 goals and 84 points through 73 games.
Both Bouchard’s 20 goals and 84 points are career highs, and lead all NHL defencemen this season. With nine games to go, there is a strong chance that he reaches the 90-point marker. And, though it’s taken some time, it’s starting to get widely recognized by national media and fans across the NHL.
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Though there are still some defensive issues that pop up from time to time with Bouchard, his offensive skills are as good as defenceman in the NHL. To no surprise, he’s starting to get his name mentioned more and more in Norris Trophy talk. After years of dominating the playoffs, he’s seemingly found a way to become elite in the regular season as well. And, as the points continue to pile up, Hockey Canada’s brass is looking worse and worse.
Zero Excuse to Leave Bouchard Off Olympic Roster
Most Oilers fans, and plenty of other fans around the NHL, had expected Bouchard to be named to Canada’s roster for the 4 Nations Face-Off. He wound up falling short, and though there was plenty of outrage at the time, Canada was able to silence all critics after winning the tournament.
Despite winning the 4 Nations, however, there were still plenty who felt Canada’s blueline could be improved for the Olympics. Hockey Canada’s brass, however, seemed to think differently, electing to bring back the exact same defencemen, meaning that Bouchard came up short once again.
That wound up being a massive mistake, as Canada struggled to score in both the quarter-final, semi-final, and gold medal game versus the US. Though they were able to squeeze past Czechia and Finland, that lack of offence proved costly in what was a 2-1 loss in the gold medal game.
Rather than bringing on Bouchard, Hockey Canada chose to go with Cale Makar, Drew Doughty, and Colton Parayko as their right-handed defencemen. Makar was always a lock, of course, but there is almost no doubt Bouchard would have had a much more positive impact than both Doughty and Parayko. Detractors will point to his untimely mistakes, but they are forgetting just how good he is when the games mean the most.
Bouchard Raises Game in Big Moments
Had it not been for Connor McDavid’s incredible performance in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Conn Smythe could very well have gone to Bouchard. Despite the Oilers coming up short, the now 26-year-old put on a performance for the ages with 32 points in just 23 outings.
That type of performance in the playoffs wasn’t a one-off, either. In just his second NHL season, Bouchard recorded 17 points in just 12 playoff games. This past year, one in which the Oilers were in the Stanley Cup Final once again, saw him put up 23 points in 22 games. In 75 career playoff games to date, he has 20 goals and 81 points.
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What hurts Bouchard is just how much his defensive gaffes get picked apart. That’s what so many outsiders see, while failing to tune into games to recognize all the good he does. While he’s never going to be a stud defensively, the analytics show he’s actually much better in his own end than he’s given credit for.
Bouchard Will Be on 2028 Roster
Based on what he’s shown both this season and throughout his career in the playoffs, it’s almost impossible to see Canada leaving Bouchard off its roster for the 2028 World Cup of Hockey. His skillset is a very unique one that has proven to be very beneficial. In order to give themselves the best chance to exact revenge on the US, the Hockey Canada brass needs to admit their mistake and right it by having Bouchard on their best-on-best rosters going forward.
