Sure as the leaves turn, a fanbase will find ways to frame blame. Oftentimes the ire of the collective becomes focused on one or two figures, if not a handful, who most shoulder the blame. Though things look rosy from the outside, with the Edmonton Oilers proving themselves worthy of being legitimate contenders, there is more than meets the eye. There is an inherent pressure in any NHL season, but simultaneously employing Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl during their prime ages is an immense burden of expectations.
In the minds of some, anything less than a Stanley Cup is an abject failure, and indictment of the entire organization around the superstar duo. While this would be a rather extreme view, perhaps one lacking in perspective, the added pressure is evident. Despite a sterling record and a high level of play there is more required.
This season sees a familiar face receiving a large amount of criticism, Evan Bouchard. A talented right shot defenceman, Bouchard’s gift is for offence. Though he is without a power play goal this season, a relatively shocking stat, Bouchard’s offensive output is fantastic. While this might be a relative down season for him, a vast majority of defencemen could only dream of equalling Bouchard’s point pace this season. Despite this, Bouchard seems to be in bad books across Oil Country. Let’s take a closer look at why that might be, and examine just how good of a defenceman Bouchard is.
How Bouchard contributes to the game
With Bouchard, the positives are fairly obvious. Between his puck skills and his shot, Bouchard is an offensive threat anytime his team has the puck. Especially given that so few players rely on a slap shot, Bouchard’s patented Bouch Bombs are a testament to his rare offensive skill set. There might only be a handful of defencemen who have a chance to lead the league in points amongst that position group at a given time, and Bouchard is firmly in the mix.
Bouchard’s game is not one dimensional either. Though his offensive gifts have been evident since he was drafted by the Oilers, his defensive work has evolved to an extent as well. Bouchard often grades out well in flow of play metrics like expected goals percentage, helping his team control play while on the ice.
Likewise, he has been effective at defending in transition. Though he does not kill penalties, rounding out his game has been crucial to earning top minutes in recent seasons.
What is being criticized of his game
Still, Bouchard’s flaws might be just as evident. There is no greater evidence of that than Bouchard’s lack of consideration for Team Canada at the 4 Nations Face-off. More than that, he has routinely authored some garish mistakes for the Oilers, including some egregious errors leading directly to goals against.
Worse still is how it all looks visually. Bouchard is a big body, but does not play with the physical edge that his height and position would suggest. Though his reach is still an asset, Bouchard’s size might even be a disadvantage to the perception of his game. The perceived lack of physical intensity has been as detrimental to Bouchard’s reputation as some of his giveaways. The phrase “big for nothing” might be among the most unflattering appraisals of Bouchard’s game.
What to make of it all? The gaffs are clear, just as the graphs of fancy stats measuring defensive impact. What is clear is that the Oilers do not wish to use Bouchard on the penalty kill, and team Canada does not trust him with a spot given that the top power play unit is accounted for.
While Bouchard is not a perfect player, he is clearly a positive for the Oilers. To an extent this will always be the case. What makes Bouchard so impactful is his offensive abilities, and he will need to employ a level of risk into his game to be at his best. There should be an effort to continue rounding out his game, as there should be an effort to minimize errors, but the more productive angle is to try to support Bouchard properly.
How to support Bouchard’s play
At this point the Oilers are doing a fantastic job of such. Mattias Ekholm is close to as ideal a defensive partner as possible. Deploying this pairing alongside some combination of Connor McDavid and/or Leon Draisaitl also helps in this regard. Frankly, Bouchard might never be in a better situation than he is right now. While this does not discredit Bouchard’s contributions, it is certainly worth mentioning.
Moreover, with the Oilers firmly focused on the here and now, Bouchard’s fit within this group should be appreciated more than it should be held against him. With Darnell Nurse joining Ekholm as big, rangy, defensive, and physicality left shots, the Oilers have a good mix between their top three defencemen.
How Bouchard can leave behind a legacy
It is fair to hope for improved intensity and stability from Bouchard, to acknowledge his imperfections. At the same time, it must be accepted that all players make mistakes, and no player is perfect. One must accept that Bouchard will always have some tough moments, but in the same breath that he makes the Oilers much better. Even if Bouchard never wins a Norris Trophy, he can be a big part of the Oilers winning the Stanley Cup.
He does have a path to a Norris Trophy, though he will need to lead the league’s defencemen in scoring to have any shot of that. His impressive defensive metrics show us that there is some level of defensive contribution, and will win over voters. As he ages he might become more steadfast, and limiting his gaffes will be crucial to any bid as well. At the moment Bouchard is not at the level of Quinn Hughes or Cale Makar, and has not as dominant as Erik Karlsson to this point of his career. Bouchard still has lots of great hockey ahead of him, and could continue to push upwards into those conversations in the future.
If Canada does not perform well at the 4 Nations Face-off, Bouchard could be in the mix for team Canada at the 2026 Olympics. Another incredible playoff performance would certainly help in this regard. Bouchard seems to share many of the Oilers early season struggles, getting better as the season progresses. There is a better chance that Bouchard is able to be selected in the future, but it is no guarantee.
A long term fit?
An RFA with arbitration rights, Bouchard will earn a raise on his next deal. With the rising salary cap the Oilers should be able to afford Bouchard this summer. Draisaitl’s new contract will be kicking in, eating up more space, and McDavid will be eligible for an extension. Obviously the Oilers will have to be smart, but Bouchard is worth re-signing at this point. It will be costly, and the Oilers might have less room to pay depth players for the next two season as new contracts for McDavid, Draisaitl, and Bouchard rise.
In the grand scheme of things, signing Bouchard to a bridge deal two years ago was a risk. Given that the Oilers were one win away from glory last season, the extra short term cap space has been put to good use. Still, the Oilers will need to be even more creative navigating the road beyond this season. It would be very difficult for the Oilers to win a trade of Bouchard, and nearly impossible to acquire a prime aged defenceman of his calibre with McDavid and Draisaitl on the roster.
Naturally any player can be traded, but realistically the best path forward is to lock up Bouchard long term. The team must be built to support and complement his skills, and should be vigilant in finding a depth of defensive options. He will continue to make something frustrating plays, but Bouchard should be appreciated by Oil Country as a core piece to the team.
The Oilers are worthy of being considered among the favourites league-wide, and have proven themselves as much as a Cupless team can, proof of concept. Bouchard is undoubtedly a key piece to achieving their goal.
Photo by Curtis Comeau/Icon Sportswire
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