Evan Bouchard has flipped the script on his season-and then some.
After a quiet start that saw him go pointless through the first six games, the Oilers blueliner has exploded offensively, racking up 56 points in his last 48 games while posting a plus-16 rating. That kind of production isn’t just impressive-it’s elite.
With fewer than 30 games left in the regular season, Bouchard finds himself tied with Cale Makar for the NHL lead in points among defensemen. Let that sink in for a moment.
And if that wasn’t enough to grab your attention, how about a six-point night against the Capitals last weekend? That kind of performance doesn’t just show up on the score sheet-it echoes around the league. Bouchard isn’t just heating up; he’s making a legitimate case to be in the Norris Trophy conversation.
A Career Year in the Making
This isn’t Bouchard’s first time being in the mix. He finished fifth in Norris voting back in 2023-24 after putting up 18 goals and 82 points-a breakout year by any standard.
But this season, he’s on pace to blow those numbers out of the water. Since October 21, he’s been tracking toward a 24-goal, 96-point campaign.
That’s not just career-best territory-that’s historic for a defenseman.
What makes this surge even more compelling is the context. Bouchard isn’t padding his stats against bottom-six lines or second units.
According to Puck IQ, he’s facing elite competition 34.8% of the time he’s on the ice-up from 31.8% last season. In other words, he’s doing more against better opponents, and that matters when you’re talking about the league’s top defensemen.
Sizing Up the Norris Field
Of course, getting into the Norris conversation is one thing. Winning it is another.
The current betting odds still have Cale Makar as the heavy favorite, with Zach Werenski, Lane Hutson, Quinn Hughes, and Moritz Seider rounding out the top contenders. Bouchard sits further down the list, but the gap is narrowing.
Makar’s early-season dominance has cooled a bit, and Colorado has dropped six of its last ten. That opens the door, even if just slightly, for someone like Bouchard to make a late-season push. And when you compare the numbers, the margins are thinner than you might expect.
At five-on-five, Bouchard trails Makar, Werenski, and Hutson in raw production-but not by much. On the power play, though, he’s been lights out.
No one’s touching him there right now. If he can continue to elevate his even-strength play, there’s a realistic path for him to finish the season as the top point-producing defenseman in the league.
The McDavid-Draisaitl Effect? Not So Fast
There’s been some chatter that Bouchard’s offensive numbers are inflated because he shares the ice with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. Sure, skating alongside two of the best forwards on the planet doesn’t hurt.
But this isn’t a case of Bouchard riding shotgun. The chemistry runs both ways.
In fact, McDavid and Draisaitl have been more productive with Bouchard on the ice than without him. His sharp puck movement and ability to jumpstart the transition game make life easier for everyone up front. He’s not just along for the ride-he’s helping drive the bus.
And let’s not pretend the other Norris hopefuls are playing in a vacuum. Makar has a stacked lineup in Colorado.
Werenski’s got strong support in Columbus. Even Hughes, who started the season in Vancouver, was finally moved to a better situation.
Great players playing with other great players is part of the modern NHL. Penalizing Bouchard for that misses the bigger picture.
Defensive Growth and the Misconceptions
Now, let’s talk defense. Moritz Seider leads the group in terms of two-way impact, and his early-season play was a big reason he jumped into the Norris conversation. Though his form has dipped slightly, he’s still a force.
Lane Hutson has also impressed defensively at five-on-five, and Bouchard isn’t far behind. That might surprise some fans who still view Bouchard as a one-dimensional, offense-only defenseman. But the numbers-and the tape-tell a different story.
Bouchard doesn’t fit the mold of a classic shutdown guy. He’s not out there bulldozing forwards or stacking up hits in front of the net.
But that doesn’t mean he’s not helping his team defensively. He defends by keeping the puck.
His clean zone exits, smart reads, and ability to sustain offensive pressure mean he spends less time in his own end-and that’s a very real way to suppress scoring chances.
Yes, the giveaways still happen, and they can be glaring when they do. Early in the season, those mistakes were more frequent-he was averaging 4.9 giveaways per hour in October.
But since then, he’s cut that number down to 3.6. That’s a meaningful improvement, especially considering how much he handles the puck.
He’s never going to be Seider or Jaccob Slavin in his own zone. But he doesn’t need to be. His style of play is built around possession and pace, and this season, he’s executing that at a high level-on both sides of the puck.
Closing the Gap
Right now, Bouchard is playing the best hockey of his career. He’s producing like a top-tier offensive defenseman, he’s handling tougher matchups than ever before, and he’s making strides in his defensive game. The Norris Trophy may still be Makar’s to lose, but the gap isn’t what it used to be.
Whether or not Bouchard hears his name called at the NHL Awards, he’s earned a spot in the conversation. And if he keeps up this pace down the stretch, that conversation might get a lot louder.