On Saturday night, the Edmonton Oilers fell 3–2 to the Seattle Kraken. The Oilers played well at times, outshooting the Kraken, but ultimately gave the game away through their own mistakes. Once again, Evan Bouchard’s play was a big topic of conversation.
The Oilers could have won the game, but arguably shot themselves in the foot. At the center of it all was Bouchard, who scored a goal but made two costly mistakes that led directly to goals against.
On the first goal, Bouchard pinched too aggressively, leading to a 2-on-1, and Jordan Eberle capitalized for the first of his evening. On the second goal against, Bouchard went down early, and Stuart Skinner’s dive to get across the net was unsuccessful. Perhaps Bouchard wasn’t at fault, but the entire sequence looked off, which is something that is said too often about Bouchard’s game of late.
Bouchard did get a power-play goal, reminding everyone about the velocity of his bomb from the blue line. Unfortunately, on the third goal against, with Mattias Ekholm stuck in an awkward spot, Bouchard took a swipe at the puck to keep it in the offensive zone, but missed. The Kraken transitioned the other way, and Eberle scored again.
It was an up-and-down night for Bouchard, with many suggesting it was mostly down.
Bouchard is struggling, but how much so remains an interesting topic of conversation. Is this as bad as he’s ever looked? Or, is this the same old Bouchard — a player who is prone to mistakes early in the season, but is elite in the playoffs? Has he set the standard so high when the games really matter that his mistakes are amplified in October?
Over the past year, Bouchard evolved into one of the NHL’s most productive defensemen, quarterbacking Edmonton’s lethal power play and being hailed as one of the best offensive defensemen in the league. His numbers are so high that he earned himself a four-year, $10.5 million contract extension this past offseason.
He can be so dominant that it sticks out when he’s not.
On the other hand, if he ever wants to be considered elite or worthy of being in the Norris Trophy conversation, he has to eliminate the costly mistakes that seem to plague him at the start of each new season. His turnovers and defensive lapses draw attention, and for good reason — they lead directly to goals against.
Bouchard is a high-risk, high-reward player. The rewards make him a weapon on offense. His outlet passes, his vision, and his poise under pressure remain elite. The risk is that he’s loose, he’s over-confident, and he doesn’t show the urgency needed when he’s in a position where a mistake will create a high-danger chance against.
This season, the Oilers’ defensive group as a whole hasn’t been sharp. Mattias Ekholm, Bouchard’s partner, is still finding his game. Darnell Nurse has had his own challenges with decision-making and puck movement. Jake Walman has arguably been the best defenseman, but he’s played only a handful of games, missing the start of the season with an injury.
Bouchard is just one of many defensemen who don’t look like they’re in sync.
Some might argue that the real story isn’t that Bouchard has been bad. The bigger issue is that he’s shown how good he can be, so when he’s this bad, it’s all the more frustrating.
Then again, Bouchard hasn’t been on the ice for a 5-on-5 goal for. He has been on for nine goals against.
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