Every Olympic cycle, Team Canada faces the same problem with too many elite players and not enough roster spots. On defence in particular, the debate often tilts toward reputation or perceived safety and perhaps highlight-reel consistency.
That dynamic is exactly why Evan Bouchard’s candidacy for the 2026 Olympics has become so polarizing and why it deserves a closer inspection.
Bouchard is clearly not a traditional “no-mistakes” defender. He never has been. But Olympic hockey has rarely been about minimizing risk at all costs and more about identifying players who can tilt the ice and change games against the best in the world. By that standard, Bouchard’s case is stronger than many are willing to admit.
Evan Bouchard, easily the D-man who changes game geometry
What separates Bouchard from most NHL defencemen is how his point production and offence is created. His game is built around manipulation of forecheckers, of passing lanes, and obviously of defensive structure. By eye test when Bouchard is on the ice, opposing teams are forced to defend deeper and wider because of his ability to move the puck through layers with pace and precision.
At 5v5, few defenders generate offence as consistently from the blue line without relying on chaos. His passes arrive flat and on time and his shot is a constant threat from distance. Also his decision-making under pressure routinely turns miscued plays into controlled exits. These are translatable skills at the international level where ice is often more open.
In short tournaments like the Olympics, the ability to flip momentum with one breakout or one power play touch can outweigh a dozen quiet mistake-free shifts.
The “defensive liability” narrative needs context
Much of the resistance to Bouchard’s Olympic candidacy stems from a long-running narrative that more often than not frames him as defensively unreliable. The reality is actually more complicated.
Bouchard does make mistakes and occasionally loud ones. But the frequency of those mistakes is often overstated while their context is ignored. He plays heavy minutes against top competition and starts a significant number of shifts in transition while also being tasked with creating offence. Players in those roles are exposed more often by nature of their game.
Alright I’m ready to do it: Evan Bouchard should be on Canada’s Olympic team. Big game talent with an undeniable set of tools. Yes, he does some whoopsies sometimes. But he’s been great in big spots in his career.
PP2, 5v5, chasing a game, there’s spots you’d love to have him.
— Justin Bourne (@jtbourne) November 18, 2025
When his results are isolated from partner dependency, this case seems clearer. His defensive outcomes remain largely stable regardless of who he plays with. That matters because Olympic coaches value adaptability. A defender who can function independently is far more useful in a short tournament where pairings can and do change rapidly.
Safe to say Canada does not need another stay-at-home defender whose primary and only contribution is not making the wrong play.
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Evan Bouchard’s production places him among the league’s elite
Over multiple seasons, Bouchard’s offensive output places him firmly within the NHL’s top tier of defencemen. On the power play yes, but also at even strength where his impact often gets overlooked. Bouchard has five goals, 23 assists, and a plus-minus of +1 in 31 games this season so far for Edmonton.
Among defenders, he consistently ranks near the top in 5v5 scoring as well as overall point generation and possession-based measures that track whether play moves in the right direction when he is on the ice. Those metrics defintely do not speak of a one-dimensional specialist.
Another thing importantly for Olympic play is that Bouchard’s offence does not rely on volume shooting or puck dominance. It is efficiency that makes his game scalable to reduced minutes or situational usage. This is again a key consideration if Canada were to deploy him as a depth or seventh defenceman.
Fit matters but also hierarchy?
Canada’s blue line will almost certainly include defenders who are elite shutdown options and elite puck carriers. What often gets overlooked is the value of having a defender whose primary strength is processing speed. I am biased here yes, but Bouchard reads developing plays faster than most. He anticipates pressure and acts decisively which is invaluable against teams that forecheck aggressively but lack NHL-level depth.
As a seventh defenceman or situational option, Bouchard could be deployed selectively on power plays and in offensive-zone starts or in games where Canada needs a different look from the back end. His presence would force opponents to respect Canada’s blue line offensively at all times, even when star forwards are changing.
Evan Bouchard is well beyond ready for the Olympics
Another element working in Bouchard’s favour is his track record in high-leverage situations. While his regular season mistakes are often magnified, his play in important games has frequently trended in the opposite direction.
He has shown an ability to elevate his decision-making when games tighten, a trait that does not always show up in raw metrics, but matters deeply in tournament play like of course the Olympics.
Olympic hockey rewards players who are comfortable operating under constant pressure and scrutiny.
Bouchard, for all the noise around his game, has never shied away from responsibility. That confidence bordering on stubbornness at times, is often exactly what separates contributors from passengers in best-on-best competition.
Yes, Bouchard absolutely deserves the Olympic nod
Evan Bouchard does not need to be crowned a lock for Team Canada to justify inclusion in the discussion. What he needs is evaluation based on what actually wins international tournaments and from Oil Country, we can say he has it all with puck movement, offensive blue line threat, adaptability, and the ability to tilt play in limited minutes.
Canada’s defensive depth ensures that safer choices will always exist. But well safety alone does not win gold medals. Impact does.
If Team Canada is willing to take a player who can change the game, Evan Bouchard is a very logical defensible choice for the 2026 Olympics.
Photo by Curtis Comeau/Icon Sportswire
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