Evan Bouchard’s historic start with Edmonton Oilers
Edmonton Oilers defenceman Evan Bouchard is off to a historic start in the 2026-27 NHL season, leading the league in goals. This performance follows a controversial 2025-26 season where he was excluded from Norris Trophy consideration despite high point production.
Why it matters
Bouchard's performance is a major talking point in professional hockey, highlighting the debate between offensive production and defensive reliability in player evaluation.
Edmonton Oilers defenceman Evan Bouchard scored a career-high 21 goals and led all defencemen with 95 points in 2025-26. Despite pacing all blueliners in point production, Bouchard was not named one of the finalists for the Norris Trophy, awarded to the league’s best defenceman, finishing fourth behind winner Zach Werenski, Cale Makar and Quinn Hughes. When it was announced that he was left off the final ballot, Bouchard admitted the snub was upsetting. “When I saw that come out, I was definitely upset a little bit,” Bouchard said on TSN OverDrive last May. “Stings a little bit, but you know what? You get back at it, and you forget about it.” This season, Bouchard has come screaming out of the gates and is scoring at a historic pace.
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