Oilers’ Bouchard Finally Gets His Due With NHL All-Star Team Selection

A pair of Edmonton Oilers were honoured on Friday (June 12), when the NHL announced its 2025-26 NHL All-Star Teams. Edmonton centre Connor McDavid is on the First Team, while Oilers defenceman Evan Bouchard is part of the Second Team.

For McDavid, this marks the eighth time he has been selected to an NHL All-Star Team, a remarkable feat for someone who isn’t even 30 yet. Edmonton’s captain is now tied with Sidney Crosby for second among most NHL All-Star Team appearances among active players, trailing only Alexander Ovechkin, who has 12.

McDavid’s greatness should never be taken for granted. But the thing is, this is just another line on a lengthy list of accolades for the 29-year-old, who is a six-time Art Ross Trophy winner, five-time Ted Lindsay Award recipient, and three-time Hart Memorial Trophy winner.

That’s why the biggest story in Oil Country should be about Bouchard receiving his first career NHL All-Star Team selection.

Honour Comes After Many Snubs

For Bouchard, being voted onto the NHL All-Star Second Team represents hard-won recognition, while also providing a sense of redemption.

After years of Bouchard being criticized for his defensive play, accused of being nothing more than a stat merchant who benefits from playing with the likes of McDavid, and getting left off the Canadian roster for both the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off and 2026 Winter Olympics, this is an acknowledgement that he does, indeed, hold a place among the game’s great blueliners.

The honour also comes only a few weeks after Bouchard missed out on being a finalist for the Norris Trophy, which many felt was an egregious snub, considering the numbers he put up during the season.

Stats Put Bouchard in Rare Company

In 2025-26, Bouchard led all NHL defencemen in points (95), assists (74), and even-strength points (60). He also ranked inside the top five among the league’s defencemen in a host of other categories, including goals (21), even-strength goals (14), power-play goals (seven), power-play points (33), game-winning goals (five), and shots (221).

Statistically, it’s one of the greatest campaigns in NHL history. Before Bouchard, only nine other NHL defencemen (a total of 21 times) had amassed 95 or more points in a single season. He’s also just the third blueliner, joining Hall-of-Famers Paul Coffey and Bobby Orr, to have registered at least 70 assists and five game-winning goals in a single season.

Oilers’ First All-Star Defenceman Since 1986

Finally, to truly appreciate just how special and meaningful it is for Bouchard to be named to one of the NHL All-Star Teams, consider this: it’s been a whopping four decades since an Oilers rearguard has received such an honour.

It last happened in 1985-86, when the aforementioned Coffey was voted to the NHL All-Star First Team. Besides Coffey, who had a total of five NHL All-Star Team selections during his Edmonton tenure, no other Oilers player has ever made an NHL All-Star Team at the defence position.

Furthermore, this is only the second time since 1986-87 that two Oilers have been named to the NHL All-Star Teams in the same season, with the other instance coming in 2022-23, when McDavid appeared on the First Team, and Leon Draisaitl was voted to the Second Team.

In short, this is a very big deal and well-earned accolade for Bouchard, who at last is getting the respect he deserves. Considering the blueliner is still just 26, it could only be the beginning. An NHL All-Star First Team selection, a Norris Trophy win, and a spot on Canada’s future World Cup of Hockey and Olympic rosters could all be in the future.