Why Evan Bouchard’s Turnaround Brings Unease for Oilers

Evan Bouchard is rolling again, and fans of the Edmonton Oilers are rejoicing that the defenseman they’ve come to know and love in the playoffs appears to be back. When he’s good, he looks like a top-tier, play-driving defenceman who can single-handedly tilt a game. When he’s not… he’s a turnover machine, and fans are quick to blame him for all things wrong in Oilers Nation.

So far, this 2025-26 season has been the perfect snapshot of the Evan Bouchard Experience.

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The Bouchard Turnaround Has Been Amazing… and Frustrating

As has happened in the past, Bouchard began the season looking like one of the most porous defensive blueliners in the NHL. Turnovers, hesitation, blown coverage, and other nightly mistakes were causing fans to lose their cool and the media to ask him uncomfortable questions, for which he had few answers. “I have to be better,” was the typical response, but how he would get there was still a mystery.

The mistakes were costly. At $10.5 million per season, in a market where the Stanley Cup is the goal and every point matters, it was pressure under which he was seemingly crumbling.

Then November arrived, and something changed.

In his last 13 games, Bouchard has posted three goals, 14 assists, 17 points, a +11 rating, and has been playing over 23 minutes a night. He’s back to his elite self, and his pairing with Mattias Ekholm looks like the top pair it’s pegged to be. The team’s breakouts are cleaner, their transition game is improved, and their top players are scoring on the heels of great passes and confident plays by a defenseman who has undeniable skill.

Bouchard hasn’t just improved — he’s become a catalyst.

And, what’s so wild about it is knowing that he’s got this game in him, yet the poor starts are not new.

The Upside vs the Downside of Evan Bouchard

When Bouchard is confident, there aren’t many defencemen in the league who can do what he does. His puck-moving is all-world, and his passing opens lanes most players don’t see. His shot — heavy, accurate, and deceptive — forces teams to respect him at the blue line.

He’s now on an 82-game pace of 14 goals and 76 points, numbers that put him in the conversation with some of the NHL’s best offensive defencemen and likely Team Canada for the Olympics.

Here’s the thing: everyone knows the bad Bouchard is never completely gone. Whether it’s a mental thing or a motivational flaw, his warts never entirely leave. The defensive lapses still show up from time to time, typically at the start of every season. The numbers are jarring because they counter-balance some elite-level play.

That’s the paradox with him. His highs are so good that his mistakes look twice as bad. Fans don’t get upset at depth guys for those errors — they expect better from Bouchard because he is capable of so much more.

It’s no surprise that even supporters who rave about him now admit he drives them crazy.

Why the Oilers Live and Die With Him

The Oilers don’t just need Bouchard to be good — they need him to stay this version of himself. Edmonton’s system thrives when the defence activates, moves the puck quickly, and supports the rush. Bouchard is the best player the Oilers have in that regard. When he’s on, the Oilers hum. When he’s off, the Oilers often look like a sinking ship.

It’s the nature of high-risk, high-reward hockey. And with Bouchard, the reward is simply too valuable to overthink the risk. Edmonton seems to have come to accept it, knowing that he will inevitably turn it around.

If Bouchard keeps this level of play rolling into the second half of the season, all will be fine. If he starts next year looking like a minor-leaguer, don’t be shocked.

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