Evan Bouchard has become one of the clearest examples of what happens when a player earns tougher assignments and responds with results.
The numbers from Puck IQ make the case. Since the start of 2023-24, Bouchard has posted a 70-53 edge in goals against elite competition, good for 57 percent. That is the kind of performance that changes the conversation around a player, especially when the minutes get harder instead of easier.
It has not always looked this way. Todd McLellan faded Bouchard early, and the source material calls that fair because Bouchard simply was not ready. Dave Tippett used him sparingly, then Jay Woodcroft gave him more ice time, and Bouchard answered with stronger results from that point forward.
The easy argument is to credit Connor McDavid for everything, and there is no denying how much lift that partnership provides. Last season, McDavid and Bouchard together went 21-9 and were at 70 percent against elite competition. But the split without McDavid matters too: Bouchard on his own was 9-8 in goals, 52 percent, while McDavid without Bouchard was 6-9, 40 percent.
That is why the case being made here is bigger than the usual “McDavid makes everyone better” line. The point is that Bouchard is the best available option for McDavid’s minutes against elite opponents, and the source material says there is no reasonable argument against that.
Puck IQ is the tool that makes this kind of evaluation possible, giving a clearer look at what is actually happening on the ice. The source material notes that this kind of breakdown matters especially in the NHL, where elite players are on the ice against elite players, unlike the AHL, where experience carries more weight.
The other layer here is what may be coming this fall. Mike Babcock may have to decide how much weight to put on Bouchard’s mistakes, and the argument here is that those missteps are outweighed by the value he brings.
The source material says anyone expecting Bouchard to have a hard time with Babcock misunderstands what drives coaching decisions: fear, or in this case, fear of losing. Babcock did not come to Edmonton thinking losing games is acceptable, and Bouchard is described as central to the team’s success.
The message is simple: fade him at your own risk.
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