Edmonton Oilers
McDavid Calls Out Award Voters for Bouchard Snub
Connor McDavid said that Evan Bouchard was snubbed last year for the Norris Trophy. This season, it’s not even a contest.
Connor McDavid isn’t happy that NHL voters overlooked Evan Bouchard for the Norris Trophy last season. He believes the superstar defenseman for the Edmonton Oilers should have won.
“He shouldn’t have been a finalist last year; he should have won.”
McDavid believes that Bouchard – who is proving himself once again to be among the best defensemen in the league — should have won the Norris Trophy. Bouchard was overlooked after scoring the most points as a defenseman in the NHL during the 2025-26 campaign. He potted 95 points (21 goals, 74 assists) and a +25 rating during the 2025–26 season. Those numbers are unmatched, and the reason most people didn’t see him as a finalist? Well, the rep is that Bouchard is one-dimensional. It’s inaccurate, but that’s the rep.
This season, he’s already got seven goals and 22 points in 13 games. Norris Trophy talk is already surfacing, and we’re just a quarter of the way into the 2026-27 season. Bouchard is getting off to a much better start, and 100 points seems well within reach. The voters will have no choice but to consider him.
“He got off to a bad start, no question. Our whole team did,” said McDavid while speaking ahead of the Wednesday night Amazon Prime featured game. “I did. Everyone did here in Edmonton. But he is a special player. Makes great plays with the puck. Nobody sees the game better than he does. Plays a lot of minutes. Plays on the kill. Does everything that’s asked of him.”
Bouchard is on pace for 142 points. Bobby Orr holds the record for most points by a defenseman in a single NHL season with 139 points.
The finalists were Rasmus Dahlin of the Buffalo Sabres, Cale Makar of the Colorado Avalanche, and Zach Werenski of the Columbus Blue Jackets. Werenski walked away with the honors. Bouchard has to be in the conversation. If he keeps going at this pace, it shouldn’t even be a conversation.
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