Oilers’ Bouchard named NHL’s second star of the week

Edmonton Oilers defenceman Evan Bouchard has earned himself the NHL’s second star of the week after a big three-game set to open the 2026-27 season.

He played a key part in the Oilers’ 2-0-1 start to the year, scoring four goals and eight points, helping the team earn five of six points.

It started with back-to-back record-setting performances against the Vancouver Canucks. In a 6-5 overtime loss in Game 1 of the season, he became the first defenceman to have five points in a season-opening game, and the third defenceman in league history to have a hat trick in that game.

The Oilers would punch back and beat the Canucks 9-7 in the second game, when Bouchard scored a goal and three points, becoming the first defenceman in NHL history with at least eight points in his team’s first two games of the season.

While Bouchard didn’t score any points in Saturday’s 3-1 win over the Seattle Kraken, he skated 27 minutes and one second, which included 21:31 at even strength, 3:19 on the power play, and 1:16 on the penalty kill, as the Oilers outscored Seattle 1-0, and outshot them 12-5 with Bouchard on the ice.

Across the three games at five-on-five, the Oilers have been outright dominant with Bouchard on the ice. They’ve outscored the opposition 8-1, generating 3.25 expected goals and allowing just 1.01, for a 76.3 per cent expected goal share, while also controlling 75.6 per cent of the scoring chance share, and 75.53 per cent of the shot attempt share.

It’s been nothing short of a tremendous start to the season for the Oilers blue liner, as he looks to help the Oilers take a step forward in their Stanley Cup aspirations.

Now, he’ll look to stay hot as the Oilers embark on a three-game road trip in Southern California — and he has a good chance to. They visit the Anaheim Ducks, whom Bouchard has 22 points in 18 games against, on Wednesday, the San Jose Sharks, whom Bouchard has 28 points in 19 games against, for a matinee Saturday, before wrapping on Tuesday, Oct. 13, with a visit to the Los Angeles Kings, whom he has 14 points in 19 games against.