When the Edmonton Oilers faced early-season struggles, it was as if Murphy’s Law was in full effect — anything that could go wrong, did. Connor McDavid looked just “normal” and not like his usual dominant self, some questioned if Leon Draisaitl lost his one-timer in the summer and every mistake led to a goal against and it seemed like the fan base wanted a complete roster overhaul.
The Oilers have turned the page from their brutal start, but it was easy to get into that mindset of “trade everyone” because the team did not look good at all and one player who faced tons of heat early on was Evan Bouchard, to the point where some in Oil Country were calling for his departure via trade. It seemed like every bad pinch he made and every defensive zone turnover ended up in the back of the Oilers’ net and he was the poster boy of the “whatever could go wrong, went wrong” statement.
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But now the Oilers have won seven straight games, fully confident and looking like the Cup contenders that many pegged them to be at the start of the season. Because the team is winning, Bouchard’s mistakes aren’t attracting as much attention and what now catches everyone’s eye is the hot streak he’s on, tallying 16 points in the last 11 games and sitting in third place in the NHL for points scored by defencemen.
Bouchard Tops the NHL Charts with His Shot
Before former head coach Jay Woodcroft was fired on Nov. 12, Bouchard was producing points at a 0.92 points-per-game (P/G) pace, and now under new bench boss Kris Knoblauch, he’s producing at a 1.12 P/G clip, committing less mistakes and the Oilers have went on an impressive 9-3-0 run since.
We’ll never know if the Oilers were on the brink of turning the page under Woodcroft, or if their improvement is truly the Knoblauch effect; however, Bouchard turning things around shows why it’s important not to prematurely write off a young player with a proven track record of being a very dangerous offensive threat and for the most part, can outscore their mistakes.
Bouchard scored his eighth goal of the season on Dec. 10 on the power play against the New Jersey Devils. His skill set is so unique with his ability to walk the blue line and fake out opposing forwards to unleash his booming shot through traffic, and if he departed from the backend, the Oilers would’ve undeniably missed that weapon if they panicked and traded him earlier in the season.
According to NHL Edge’s advanced stats, Bouchard’s hardest shot recorded in a game this season was clocked at 100.48 miles per hour (mph), which ranks in the top 98 percentile in the entire NHL. He’s recorded 33 shots over 25 games this season within the range of 90-100 mph and sits atop the NHL in that category also.
| Bouchard’s Top Shot Speed (MPH) | NHL League Average | Percentile in NHL |
| 100.48 | 89.54 | 98th |
Moreover, in the 4-3 win over the Minnesota Wild on Dec. 8, Marc-Andre Fleury was rock solid in net for the Wild and it took amazing and highlight-reel efforts from McDavid, Draisaitl and Bouchard to beat the future Hall of Fame netminder. Bouchard beat him twice, and those tallies were absolute canons that no other Oilers’ defenceman can replicate. Those goals certainly made noise around the league and added to his budding reputation of being a feared shooter.
Comparing Bouchard’s Shot to Former Oiler Sheldon Souray
Bouchard is on pace for 26 goals this season and if he achieves this, it will be the highest goal output from an Oilers’ defenceman since Sheldon Souray notched 23 goals in an Oilers’ uniform during the 2008-09 season. Souray played in 144 games for the Orange and Blue, and his time with the organization was more highlighted by the off-ice drama over an injury, but on the ice, he was well known for his blistering slap shot from the blue line.
Hockey analyst and former NHL player Rob Brown compared the shots of Bouchard and Souray on the “Inside Sports” show, and provided an insightful analysis, saying:
“Bouchard to me has a heavy shot like Sheldon Souray, a blast from the past here in Edmonton, but with more control. I remember watching every time Souray wound up and I was always fearful for Ryan Smyth or Dustin Penner or whoever was standing in front of the net, because it was a bomb that, he would go bar down and not worry about it. Evan Bouchard is very good at missing the shin pads of the [opposing player], but also putting it into a spot that’s not fearful for the guy in front. As Knoblauch talked about, he’s got the velocity and the aim, which is a combination few players have.”
– Rob Brown
The analysis is on point; the next time Bouchard winds up for a shot from the blue line on the power play, watch how Zach Hyman calmly and confidently stands in the crease. He doesn’t flinch because he trusts Bouchard’s precise puck placement on net.
While Bouchard is on his way to just slightly passing Souray’s 23 goals from almost 16 years ago, he’s on pace to crush his 53-point total from that season — on his current trajectory, Bouchard is on pace for over an astounding 90 points.
At 24 years of age, and 209 games under his belt, is there room for him to be better defensively? Without a doubt. But he has the potential to be a 75-plus point defenceman for many years to come and that type of player doesn’t just grow on trees. Bouchard will never have the two-way game of former Norris Trophy winner Victor Hedman, but if he can outscore his mistakes, then he’s poised to remain a valuable asset in Edmonton for many years to come.
What are your thoughts on Bouchard as of late? Have your say in the comments below!