Oilers 2024-25 Report Cards: Evan Bouchard

After their second consecutive Stanley Cup Final loss to the Florida Panthers, the Edmonton Oilers’ offseason started later than most. After another heartbreaking defeat, their attention quickly turned toward that draft and free agency. Now that the dust has settled, let’s reflect on the 2024-25 season and hand out player grades, starting with Evan Bouchard.

Bouchard is an extremely polarizing player among the fan base and is heavily criticized. The Oilers’ defenceman inked a four-year extension on June 30th with a massive 10.5 million cap hit, keeping him in Oil Country. Like it or not, young, elite, right-shot, offensive defencemen are coveted, and therefore, expensive. He’s a top-pairing defenceman and averaged 23:38 of ice time, his career high. He also averaged 26:12 of ice time during the playoffs. On top of that, he played many games throughout the end of the regular season and much of the playoffs without veteran defence partner Mattias Ekholm due to injury. He proved that he can play with anyone and doesn’t rely on Ekholm.

Availability is the best ability, and he has played at least 81 regular-season games in four consecutive seasons, only missing two games during that span. His offensive numbers were down from the 2023-24 season, where he scored 18 goals and had 82 points. He was held to 14 goals and 67 points last season, and didn’t score a power-play goal until March 1 against the Carolina Hurricanes. His plus/minus rating was also significantly down from the season before. He was a plus-34 in the 2023-24 season, but only a plus-14 last season. The 25-year-old was still productive offensively, but we’ve grown to expect that, and wanted more, especially to compensate for the rest of his game. When he’s productive, it’s easier to forgive his other mistakes.

Bouchard’s Defensive Game Needs Work

It’s no secret that Bouchard can struggle defensively. He’s an elite puck-mover, but sometimes that gets him into trouble. He tries to move the puck to the skilled forwards, and sometimes it works, leading to rush chances. However, other times he turns the puck over, resulting in high-danger chances against them, which often lead to goals. The Oakville, Ontario native forces plays that aren’t there, and he needs to make better decisions in the defensive zone. He must make simple plays and not take unnecessary risks. His lackadaisical approach is frustrating for fans because it looks like he lacks effort. He’s calm and composed, but that works against him. If he wants to be a better defenceman, he must increase his intensity and urgency while improving his defensive awareness.