The 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs have been a good reminder to those who may not watch the Edmonton Oilers on a regular basis as to why Evan Bouchard has both plenty of supporters and detractors. The 25-year-old has had an excellent start to the postseason in the eyes of some, while others are frustrated beyond belief with his play.
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Bouchard is a player who is as gifted as they come in some areas, and struggles immensely in others. He’s undoubtedly become the most polarizing player on this current Oilers roster, and is arguably the most polarizing in the entire league. Here’s a look at what makes the ridiculously talented defenceman so heavily debated in the eyes of fans.
Bouchard’s Defensive Play Is Borderline Atrocious
If you were to only watch the game from centre ice into the Oilers’ zone, you would consider Bouchard one of the worst players in the NHL. He is far from physical, and at times even seems to bail out of checks rather than taking a hit to make the play. That frustrates many, particularly those who grew up watching a more physical game, as it’s the type of style you would have never seen from a defenceman 20 to 30 years ago.
Not only is Bouchard soft in the eyes of many, but he really struggles in his own zone. He loses assignments, is prone to getting beat off the rush due to his poor foot speed, and has some head-scratching turnovers that quite often result in opposing teams putting the puck in the Oilers’ net.
What also irks many when watching Bouchard is his lackadaisical approach. While some view it as a smart way to slow the game down, others see it as a lack of intensity. There are times where it appears he is simply checked out of the game, and others where he looks flat-out lazy. There is certainly justification for those who aren’t fans of his game, though there are also plenty of great reasons others love him.
Bouchard Is a Unicorn Offensively
If a defenceman is good at shutting down opposing teams’ top stars, hits everything that moves, but doesn’t put up much offence, he will still generally be beloved by fans. After all, a defenceman is thought of as a player whose number-one job is to prevent the other team from putting the puck in the net. Those who adhere to that style of hockey are the ones who aren’t fans of Bouchard.
That said, while Bouchard does certainly struggle defensively, his offensive upside, in the eyes of many, makes up for his defensive play. He was viewed as an offensive defenceman when selected 10th overall in the 2018 Draft, and has certainly lived up to that reputation in the NHL.
Bouchard managed a career-high 82 points in the 2023-24 season, and followed that up with 32 points in just 25 playoff outings. While his numbers took a slight step back in 2024-25, he still finished with a very impressive 67 points in 82 games. Those 67 points ranked fifth amongst all NHL blueliners, trailing only some of the game’s best in Rasmus Dahlin (68), Quinn Hughes (76), Zach Werenski (82), and Cale Makar (92).
Once again, Bouchard has upped those numbers in the playoffs. Despite all the criticism he has faced, he’s managed four goals and seven points through just four games. He now has 1.14 points per game throughout his playoff career. That ranks second all-time to only Bobby Orr’s 1.24. Makar, widely considered the best in the game, is third at 1.08.
Even those who don’t like Bouchard’s game can’t deny the fact that those stats listed are simply incredible. Does he get some help by being placed on a power play unit that features Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl? Of course he does, though there is an argument to be made that their offensive production also increases by playing on the unit with him.
Sunday night’s Game 4 versus the LA Kings was an extreme, but great example of the type of player Bouchard is. After an awful opening 40 minutes in which he was very much responsible for two goals against, he came out in the third period and scored two goals, including one with just 29 seconds remaining in regulation to send the game to overtime.
After taking a ton of flak from many on social media throughout the night, he finished the game with two goals and nine shots, and was undoubtedly the biggest spark behind the comeback in what was a massive win for the Oilers.
Fans Need to Take the Good With the Bad
As frustrating as Bouchard can be, his offensive game generally overrides his defensive shortcomings. The ideal situation for him is to be partnered with a shutdown defenceman who can cover up some of those blunders, which he doesn’t have right now with Mattias Ekholm out of the lineup. That said, even without Ekholm, he has the capabilities of being a difference maker, which we saw to close out Sunday’s game.
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Yes, Bouchard can be frustrating, but few players in the NHL don’t have shortcomings in some areas. His gift is his offensive instincts, and few blueliners in the league play a better offensive game than he does.
