Oilers Columnist Floats Shocking Evan Bouchard Trade Theory

Evan Bouchard is coming off back-to-back historic postseasons, is having the best regular-season of his NHL career, and is in the running to win the Norris Trophy — yet that still isn’t enough for some.

Because the Edmonton Oilers have dealt with major defensive struggles in 2025–26, most of the talk leading up to the trade deadline has been focused on how they can shore up those issues. Connor Murphy and Jason Dickinson have been acquired to help the cause, but one columnist believes that for the Oilers to get over the final hump and win the Stanley Cup, they need to trade Evan Bouchard.

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Bill Hanson provided his reasoning for the stunning idea in a recent article for the Edmonton Journal.

Hanson wrote:

“It’s time to do something shocking, that is, something surprising, potentially distressing, and emotionally intense. It’s heresy to say it, but it’s time to trade Evan Bouchard. Trading Bouchard for another Mattias Ekholm-like defenceman and, let’s say, a future first-round draft pick (and possibly more) makes good sense. Yes, Bouchard’s offensive prowess is elite, off the charts. And, yes, he quarterbacks a dynamic power play. By all accounts, he’s an extremely good person and teammate. Trading him would cause internal angst, hand-wringing, and debate. But his strengths amplify what Edmonton already has in abundance: offence. What Edmonton lacks is relentless defensive bite.

It’s time to acquire a defensive menace. Stabilize and reshuffle the blue line, top-to-bottom. Improve the penalty kill. Raise blocked shots and takeaways per 60. Protect the slot. Lower goals against. Lift team save percentage. The ripple effects would be profound, as data are clear: Defence and strong positional play reduce randomness and win games. Shots are called “chances” for a reason,”

The 26-year-old Bouchard is, as mentioned, in the midst of a spectacular 2025–26 season, already having racked up 71 points (18 goals, 53 assists) through 62 games to lead all NHL defensemen in scoring. He’s in year one of the four-year, $42 million extension signed with the Oilers this summer as an RFA.

Bouchard won’t be getting traded anytime soon — if ever — though it is fascinating to see just how divided opinions are when it comes to the star defenseman.

His defensive game isn’t perfect, but we’ve always known that. Bouchard is, however, one of — if not the — best offensive defensemen in the world, and his chemistry with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl is borderline unstoppable.

If Edmonton were to move Bouchard, they would immediately be searching for another puck-moving, skilled offensive defenseman — and those don’t grow on trees. Quite frankly, it’s easier to find steady, stay-at-home defensive options, which they just did by landing Murphy from Chicago.

Next: Leon Draisaitl Heaps Praise on Evan Bouchard, Makes Big Comparisons