Game 1 Shows Oilers Stuck with Bouchard—For Better and Worse

Evan Bouchard’s Game 1 performance in the Edmonton Oilers’ first-round playoff series against the Los Angeles Kings proved just how polarizing a defenseman he can be. His on-ice performances create a real dilemma for Edmonton, given that he offers the highest of highs and the lowest of lows.

Bouchard notched three assists and finished with a +1 rating, but his defensive miscues and turnovers were ultimately the leading cause in the team’s 6-5 loss. Fans on social media and media journalists were calling him a “liability” and questioning whether the team can truly win with him logging big minutes this season.

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Bouchard has had all year to work out the defensive kinks in his game. Game 1 showed he hasn’t done it. Head coach Kris Knoblauch was asked about Bouchard after the game and he defended his player when he said his game wasn’t perfect, but that he was ‘Not sure anybody’s game was perfect’.

Oilers Have to Take the Good and the Bad of Bouchard

With Mattias Ekholm sidelined due to injury, the Oilers simply have no choice but to lean on Bouchard. And, to be fair, he’s a whiz offensively. His three points were part of the reason the Oilers were able to mount a comeback from 4-0 down in the second period.

Unfortunately, without Ekholm, Bouchard is an even greater liability defensively. Ekholm calms Bouchard, and when the two aren’t paired together, Bouchard’s flaws are exposed.

“You can’t win with him at this level defensively,” said Sportsnet’s Mark Spector following Game 1. That tweet may have come as Bouchard was throwing the puck out in front of his own net, which resulted in a turnover and a goal. It was one of those plays that coaches teach defensemen to take out of their game at a young age. For whatever reason, Bouchard thought it would be a good idea. It wasn’t.

Then again, Bouchard makes those plays because he believes he can. He saw Connor McDavid and thought he could get him the puck. It didn’t work in that moment, but sometimes it does. Bouchard’s high-risk, high-reward style has its benefits and its drawbacks. The Oilers just need to figure out how to manage what he brings. Removing Bouchard from the lineup isn’t a viable option—not just because of Ekholm’s absence, but because Bouchard remains one of the team’s top offensive weapons on the blue line.

Bouchard Takes a Lot of Heat for Brutal Mistakes, But He’s Also Really Good

He’s also moving up the franchise leaderboard. With 48 playoff assists, Bouchard just passed Esa Tikkanen for ninth in Oilers history, and trails only Charlie Huddy (62) to reach eighth.

The debate surrounding Bouchard is nothing new. Fans and media members who cover the Oilers have all the material they’ll ever need to dump all over him. And, in games like Monday’s, he gives them more. All anyone wants is for Bouchard to be more responsible in his own zone. Last season’s playoffs proved he’s capable of doing so.

The question now is, do his defensive shortcomings outweigh his offensive upside? As one fan put it: “Every shift he could be kissed or killed.”

With the Oilers needing every ounce of production to get through a tight series with L.A., Evan Bouchard will be one of the more talked-about Oilers, for better or worse.

Next: McDavid Unreal as Kings Edge Oilers 6-5 in Wild Game 1 Thriller