Edmonton Oilers
Ex-NHL Coach At Bat for Evan Bouchard on Team Canada… Despite Blunders
Most have written off Evan Bouchard for Team Canada — but not this former NHL coach.
Evan Bouchard is one of the most polarizing players in the NHL. His elite offensive skill set and ability to produce points rank among the best defensemen in the world. On the flip side, his defensive miscues and nonchalant play can be maddening and sometimes costly. His highs are high and his lows are extremely low.
Hockey fans have seen it on full display over the last few years. Bouchard has produced eye-popping, historic numbers during the Oilers’ deep playoff runs, while also looking lost in his own end at times, then having to pull the puck out of his own net.
That’s just who Bouchard is; you have to live with the good, bad, and the ugly. For some, it’s too much of a roller coaster ride to handle, whereas for others, the upside of the good he brings to the table is well worth whatever negatives come along with it.
Former longtime NHL head coach Ken Hitchcock falls into the latter camp, and on Wednesday, he said that if it were up to him, Bouchard would be on Team Canada.
“I don’t think you worry about the lackadaisical plays in the regular season; instead, you focus on the top end of his game. There are very few guys who see the game like he does, and pass like he does, and he has proven when the games are on the line (playoffs), he plays at a very high level. I would have him on the team,”
The 26-year-old Bouchard has heated up after a slow start to the 2025-26 season, now up to 28 points (five goals, 23 assists) through 30 games played.
Evan Bouchard Brings an Element Canada Lacks
While much of the hockey world is focused on the potential downside of Bouchard making Team Canada, they’re overlooking the value his strengths could bring.
Canada’s blueline at the 4 Nations Face-Off provided almost nothing offensively, with the eight defenders having tallied a combined four points (four assists) across the 24 total man games.
It’s hard to imagine Cale Makar will be held down like that at the Olympics, but beyond him, it’s a group of mostly stay-at-home defensemen, with Josh Morrissey likely relied upon to run a power play unit.
Bouchard would easily be the second-best offensive option on the back end for Canada and would give PP2 a major boost as the quarterback on the point with a bomb of a shot.
In international play, where the checking is tight and scoring opportunities are fewer, having players with the talent to capitalize more often than not is vital, so Hitchcock certainly has a case for Bouchard to be there.
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