Oilers’ Odd Blue Line Fix vs Bruins: Good or Bad for Bouchard?

In a surprising move during Thursday’s game against the Boston Bruins, the Edmonton Oilers made a major change to their defensive pairings, a first this season. Head coach Kris Knoblauch chose to separate the long-standing duo of Mattias Ekholm and Evan Bouchard. The switch, which saw Ekholm skating with Ty Emberson and Bouchard paired with Brett Kulak, raises questions about the confidence Edmonton has in the Bouchard and Ekholm pairing and, perhaps, whether Bouchard’s role on the team is changing for the better or worse.

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As Daniel Nugent-Bowman of The Athletic points out, since Ekholm’s arrival from Nashville on February 28, 2023, he and Bouchard have been a constant pairing. They have played 101 games together under head coach Chris Knoblauch and assistant Paul Coffey. So, to see this pairing split up was odd. To hear Ekholm — who has been Bouchard’s biggest advocate — say he was excited for a new partner was also a tad alarming.

“It was nice to see a different partner and get out of your comfort zone a little bit,” said Ekholm. He added, “We needed a spark for the whole D corps and the whole team.”

This is not to say that Ekholm wanted a different partner or to be split from Bouchard. And, perhaps, this is just one game and not about Bouchard at all. But now that the coaches know breaking these two up can and will work, fans should expect to see it more often.

Is Oilers Change Good or Bad News?

This pairing has been one of the most consistent in the league, so what prompted this abrupt change? Some believe that Ekholm has been the calming presence for Bouchard and a necessary piece to ensure the latter can play his style of game without worry. A spark is one thing. It’s the same reason the coaches like to put Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and Zach Hyman together when the offense isn’t clicking. But was this about confidence in others (Emberson and Kulak) or a lack of confidence in Bouchard?

It’s hard to know the answer other than to say that Bouchard has had a rougher year than most would have expected. Coming off of a fantastic 2023-24 season, he’s become quite the polarizing player in Edmonton. If Ekholm is at the point where he’s open to a new partner (frankly, excited about it), what does that say? Maybe nothing. Perhaps I’m reaching.

In terms of impact, the new pairings showed some promise. The Bouchard-Kulak duo had a solid 10-6 shot attempt advantage in just 8:34 of five-on-five play.

Ekholm and Bouchard Split: Temporary Fix or Regular Go-To?

Knoblauch admitted that the Oilers needed a change, acknowledging that it wasn’t the best game Bouchard and Ekholm had played together. “We wanted to change some things up,” he said. “A new partner gives players a different outlook, hopefully, a little energy, a little more focus to their game.”

While it’s clear that the coaching staff was looking for a spark, it remains to be seen whether this change is a one-time adjustment or an indication of deeper issues. Bouchard, still a key part of the Oilers’ future, may not have lost his place permanently, but the tinkering raises questions about how they see him. Is he someone that can be pushed down the lineup? Or, should fans even see this as a demotion? Bouchard played more minutes at 25:52 than he had in the past five games.

Maybe it wasn’t about Bouchard at all.

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