The numbers are starting to feel real for Evan Bouchard and the Edmonton Oilers. With eight games left in the regular season, Bouchard sits at 86 points, which is just 14 away from becoming the first Oilers defenseman to reach 100 points since the 1984-85 campaign.
It’s a benchmark that hasn’t been touched in over four decades, and time is watching the chase intensify with each passing game.
At his current pace, Bouchard projects to finish around 95 points. But that projection, of course, doesn’t account for the surge he has shown since mid-November, when his offensive game elevated to another level entirely.
Since that stretch began, Bouchard has been involved in nearly every facet of Edmonton’s attack. Power play. Five-on-five. Transition. His consistency has separated this season from anything he’s done before.
Bouchard to end a four-decade drought for the Oilers?
No Oilers defenceman has hit the century mark since Paul Coffey’s 121-point masterpiece in 1984-85. That season remains the franchise record set during Edmonton’s dynasty years when the team was rewriting offensive records across the board.
Bouchard won’t match Coffey’s total, but reaching 100 would cement this as one of the best single seasons by a defenseman in Oilers history and one of the most impactful in the modern NHL. All the more sweet with Paul Coffey watching from the bench.
The challenge is quite steep, though. Fourteen points in eight games requires averaging 1.75 points per contest. That means multi-point nights, heavy usage and consistent power-play production. All of which Knoblauch has shown a willingness to provide.
Evan Bouchard totally deserves this
What makes Bouchard’s season stand out is that he has become one of Edmonton’s primary offensive catalysts from the back end.
His presence on the power play has been really instrumental all season. Edmonton’s man advantage runs through Bouchard’s vision and release from the point.
At five-on-five, his ability to transition the puck and join the rush has added another advantage to an already dangerous Edmonton attack. Teams can’t load up on the Oilers’ star forwards without leaving Bouchard in dangerous areas.
Bouchard is currently producing at a point-per-game pace, a feat few defencemen in NHL history have sustained over a full season. Even if he falls short of 100 points, this campaign already ranks among the elite single-season performances by a blueliner. This should put him in the conversation for the Norris Trophy this year.
But the door remains open. Eight games. Fourteen points. And a defenceman who has shown all season that he belongs in the conversation with the league’s very best.
Whether he crosses the threshold or not, one thing is clear. Bouchard has already made history this season. The question now is just how much.
The Oilers host the Seattle Kraken on tonight at Rogers Place. Let’s see how much closer he can get to the milestone by the end of the night.
on what planet Makar is at 86 points