When the Edmonton Oilers mounted their comeback in Game 1 of their playoff series against the Vegas Golden Knights, there was plenty of love to share. Corey Perry, Connor Brown, John Klingberg, Leon Draisaitl, Calvin Pickard, and others had strong games. One player who didn’t get a lot of love but quietly—and decisively—tilted the ice in the Oilers’ favor was Evan Bouchard.
Yes, that Evan Bouchard.
Bouchard has sparked heated debates across Oil Country, sometimes praised as an elite puck-moving defenseman, and other times grilled for his lapses in his own zone. But love him or loathe him, Bouchard is doing things in the Stanley Cup Playoffs that very few defensemen in NHL history have ever done. It’s time, even among his fiercest detractors, that we give him a little love.
Bouchard Setting Records for the Oilers
Bouchard notched two assists in the Game 1 win, helping the Oilers to a 4–2 victory. More than just a point-producing night, his impact was felt in virtually every measurable 5-on-5 metric. He was on the ice for three goals for and none against, controlled the shot battle 12–2, and dominated shot attempts 30–11. He led all skaters with 26:27 TOI tonight, played 2:12 on the penalty kill, and was a plus/minus +3.
Those are incredible numbers that only the pro-Bouchard crowd seems to be talking about.
More importantly, those two helpers brought Bouchard’s career playoff assist total to 50. He reached that milestone in just his 60th playoff game, making him the second-fastest defenseman in NHL history to do so. The only one to beat him? Bobby Orr, who hit 50 assists in 59 games.
Bouchard Is Among The Elite in the Game
There is a lot to be desired about the way Bouchard plays. He’s sometimes inconsistent, coughing up the puck and appearing like a defensive liability. The analytics often argue a different story, but his 10-bell turnovers are what get remembered. Still, that he’s being mentioned in the same breath as Bobby Orr, Brian Leetch, Paul Coffey, and Cale Makar, perhaps it’s acceptable to take the good with the bad.
With 67 points in his first 60 playoff games, Bouchard trails only Orr and Leetch in terms of offensive production in that span. To argue that anyone can post those numbers when playing with Connor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl is not giving Bouchard the credit he deserves.
Is he flawless? Absolutely not. Bouchard can be a defensive adventure at times. He has a tendency to drift, gets caught puck-watching, and occasionally gifts opponents prime scoring chances. These are fair criticisms—and part of what makes evaluating him so tricky.
But it can’t and shouldn’t be overlooked when you’re producing points at a historic pace in the postseason.
When Bouchard is on, you almost don’t notice him — or at least his haters choose not to. When his mistakes don’t overshadow the rest of his game, he’s arguably one of the most dangerous defensemen in the NHL. He calmly moves the puck out of danger, jumps into the rush, and runs the power play like few others. Tuesday night was a prime example of his effectiveness when there are no glaring mistakes to dissect and criticize.
Get Ready For a Monster Contract
Bouchard advocates won’t mind, but his haters better get used to reminding themselves about how good Bouchard can be. Why? Because his future contract is going to be a monster. How do you pay a player like Bouchard? Do you compensate him like the 80-point defenseman he could be, or do you point out defensive concerns during negotiations? History suggests that these kinds of players get paid for their point production.
Bouchard deserves his flowers. When he’s playing like he did in Game 1, he’s not just an asset—he’s a game-breaker. He’s polarizing, but he’s not someone the Oilers can afford to lose. At the end of the day, he’s critical to Edmonton’s playoff success and few can do what he does.
It’s time everyone acknowledged how good Bouchard can be and often is. He’s not always a hot mess. In fact, he’s far often a positive game-changer for the Oilers than he is a player the team sees as problematic.
