It took just four games into the 2025-26 season for many to start ripping apart Edmonton Oilers defenceman Evan Bouchard. The 25-year-old had a horrendous showing versus the New York Islanders on Thursday night, highlighted by an ugly giveaway in the first period. As the last man back, he attempted to stickhandle past Mat Barzal, who stripped him and scored on a breakaway to give the Islanders a 1-0 lead.
Bouchard had several other ugly turnovers in the game as well. Afterward, there were thousands online bashing him, as well as several Oilers reporters. Mark Spector went as far as to suggest that the ugly performance will be part of the reason as to why he won’t be on Canada’s roster for the 2026 Olympics.
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“That’s the mistake that will have Bouchard in Turks and Caicos during the Olympic break, not Milan,” Spector wrote on X. “A needless dangle while the last man back, pocket picked, 1-0 Isles.”
While it remains to be seen as to whether or not Bouchard is included on Canada’s roster for the Olympics, it is very odd to see Oilers media members and fan base rip into him like this, especially this early into the season.
We Know Bouchard Will Be Fine
While Bouchard’s mistakes – which other elite defencemen in the NHL don’t seem to make – are frustrating, they are simply a part of his game at times. What’s important to keep in mind is that this time around, it came in game four of the regular season.
What fans also know about Bouchard is that when the stakes are at their highest, he rises up to the occasion. Would you prefer a defenceman to have a bad night in October, or during the playoffs? Anyone who has watched Bouchard over the Oilers’ last three playoff runs knows just how dominant he is at that time of year.
Through 75 career postseason games, Bouchard has 20 goals and 81 points. Cale Makar, who is widely regarded as the best defenceman in the NHL, has 22 goals and 85 points in 79 playoff games. Quinn Hughes, meanwhile, has two goals and 26 points in 30 outings. Victor Hedman, regarded as one of the best two-way defencemen of his era, has 120 points in 170 career playoff outings.
The whole point is that Bouchard picks up his game in a big way when it matters the most. That is the exact reason the Oilers signed him. Sure, they’d like him to be every bit as elite in the regular season, as well, but they were already well aware of some of his issues before signing him this past offseason. This Oilers team will be contending for Stanley Cups for several years moving forward, and they can feel comfortable knowing that when the playoffs arrive, Bouchard will be his elite self.
Bouchard Is Worth Every Penny
Though there continue to be those who mock his $10.5 million cap hit, they are the individuals who just see an ugly clip or two on social media and begin to mock the player. If they were to actually sit down and watch him on a regular basis, they would see the elite offensive capabilities he possesses, including the ability to make a difficult breakout look quite simple.
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There is certainly an argument to be made that during the regular season, Bouchard’s $10.5 million cap hit is an overpay. Again, however, does that really matter all that much when you know he is going to dominate the playoffs over and over again? It’s a trade-off Oilers management was willing to make, and is one that fans should not only come to accept, but also embrace moving forward.
