Evan Bouchard joins elite company with early-season production

Edmonton Oilers defenseman Evan Bouchard. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Oilers' Evan Bouchard joins elite company with early-season production

By Mike J. Asti | Last updated Nov 2, 2026 8:45 AM ET

Connor McDavid isn't the only member of the Edmonton Oilers who's enjoying an historic start to the season.

Evan Bouchard joined some elite NHL company of his own on Sunday as part of a big 4-1 road win over the New York Rangers.

Evan Bouchard made history by joining a pair of HOF defensemen

With a goal and two assists, Bouchard became only the third defenseman to ever record at least 26 points through his team's first 15 games of a season.

Bouchard, who now has exactly 26 on the year, is third on the list, one point behind the 27 Al MacInnis put up in 1990-91 and four shy of matching the 30 the icon Bobby Orr tallied in 1974-75.

Bouchard has six goals and 18 assists so far in the early portion of the 2016-27 season.

BOOOOOUCH

Evan Bouchard joins some elite company with 26 points through 15 games this season! pic.twitter.com/OU60eBdQVq
— NHL (@NHL) November 2, 2026

The eight-year NHL veteran, who has spent his entire career in Edmonton, has consistently provided an offensive punch from the blue line and helped generate offense without McDavid or Leon Draisaitl having to ignite the possession.

BOUCH BOMB

The defenseman's got his third point of the night! pic.twitter.com/y3mkanIeqa
— NHL (@NHL) November 2, 2026

Bouchard is putting together his second straight career-best season

Coming off a season in which he took his game to another level and shattered his previous career highs, Bouchard is on pace to reach 100 points for the first time in his career. He finished with 95 while playing in all 82 regular season games in 2025-26, scoring 21 goals and adding 74 assists. His prior best campaign came in 2023-24, when he registered 18 goals and 82 total points for an Oilers team that reached the first of back-to-back trips to the Stanley Cup Final.

So far in the midst of his eighth season, Bouchard has 84 goals, 275 helpers and 359 points in 444 games played.

And most importantly for Edmonton, Bouchard's production has helped lead the Oilers to an 11-2-2 record and a 7-0 mark away from home.

Mike J. Asti

Mike Asti is an experienced media personality and journalist with a vast resume and skillset, most notably from time with TribLIVE Radio and WPXI-TV. Asti now serves as the Managing Editor of WV Sports Now, where he leads the coverage of WVU sports. He has also covered the Steelers, Penguins, Pirates and other teams within the Pittsburgh market

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