Evan Bouchard has opened the season like a defenseman determined to force his way into the Norris Trophy conversation. Through Edmonton’s first two games, the Oilers blue-liner has four goals and four assists, pairing historic production with the territorial numbers and shooting volume that have defined his rise into the League’s top offensive defensemen.
A record-setting start in Edmonton
Bouchard posted five points, including a hat trick, against the Vancouver Canucks on Sept. 29, then added a goal and two assists when Edmonton faced Vancouver again on Oct. 1. His eight points are the most by an NHL defenseman through his club’s first two games of a season.
- Bouchard is the first defenseman in NHL history to reach eight points in his team’s opening two games.
- His four goals match the most by a defenseman over that span since St. Louis Blues skater Larry Sacharuk recorded four in 1974-75.
- Bouchard led all NHL defensemen with 95 points last season and finished fourth in Norris voting.
- Edmonton has received a five-point game from Bouchard and one from Connor McDavid already, becoming the second team in League history with a player producing at least five points in each of its first two games. Boston last did it in 1973-74 with Phil Esposito and Ken Hodge.
The Oilers have plenty of firepower around Bouchard, and that matters when a defenseman is regularly involved in finishing plays. McDavid owns nine career 100-point seasons, third in NHL history behind Wayne Gretzky’s 15 and Mario Lemieux’s 10. Leon Draisaitl has six, tied for seventh all-time.
Oilers owning the puck with Bouchard on the ice
The early tracking numbers show that Bouchard is not merely cashing in on a hot week. Edmonton has spent a heavy share of its time attacking with him involved, and he has driven a staggering amount of shot volume at even strength.
- Bouchard’s offensive-zone time percentage sits at 51.7 percent, placing him in the 97th percentile.
- He leads NHL defensemen with a plus-29 5-on-5 shot-attempt differential.
- That plus-29 figure is tied with Draisaitl for the best mark among all NHL skaters.
- Bouchard and Draisaitl are tied for the League lead with 18 shot attempts each.
Last season, Bouchard was tied for third among defensemen in offensive-zone time at 47.6 percent, behind Shayne Gostisbehere at 49.6 and Adam Fox at 48.0. He was also tied for third among blue-liners in power-play offensive-zone time percentage at 63.5.
The shot remains a dangerous weapon
Bouchard has not yet reached 90 mph on a shot this season, but his release and volume from the blue line remain major parts of Edmonton’s attack. His hardest attempt has registered at 89.01 mph, good for the 91st percentile among defensemen.
- He is tied with Seattle Kraken defenseman Brandon Montour and Utah Mammoth defenseman Mikhail Sergachev for the NHL lead in shots measured between 80 and 90 mph, with four apiece.
- Bouchard’s hardest goal so far came at 75.74 mph in the first period of the Sept. 29 opener against Vancouver.
- Last season, he ranked second in the NHL with 51 attempts of at least 90 mph, trailing only Darren Raddysh, who had 97 for Tampa Bay before joining Toronto.
- His 74.27 mph average shot speed last season ranked in the 95th percentile among defensemen, while his top shot of 98.08 mph placed in the 90th percentile.
The power play has long benefited from that shot. Since the beginning of 2023-24, Bouchard’s 18 power-play goals rank third among NHL defensemen, behind Cale Makar’s 23 and Jakob Chychrun’s 20.
Long-range offense bolsters Norris case
Bouchard has been especially effective from the perimeter in the opening games. He is the only NHL player with two long-range goals, and his seven long-range shots on goal lead the League.
That is a continuation rather than a surprise. He finished fourth in the NHL with 108 long-range shots on goal last season, while his 12 mid-range goals were tied for third among defensemen. His 87 mid-range shots on goal ranked second at the position, behind Zach Werenski’s 91.
- Two of Bouchard’s four goals this season have come on snapshots.
- Last season, he was the only NHL defenseman to score at least eight snapshot goals and at least eight slapshot goals.
- Since 2023-24, Bouchard’s 26 slapshot goals lead all NHL defensemen.
- That total is six ahead of the next group, with Raddysh and Roman Josi behind him.
The Norris race will have no shortage of established names. Makar is a two-time winner, Quinn Hughes has won once, and reigning winner Werenski has also claimed the award. Bouchard has not yet been named a finalist, but another season near — or beyond — 100 points would make his case difficult to overlook.
Paul Coffey was the last Oilers defenseman to win the Norris Trophy, doing so in 1985-86. The modern benchmark for a 100-point defenseman remains Erik Karlsson, who collected 101 points with the San Jose Sharks in 2022-23. Before Karlsson, no defenseman had topped the century mark since Brian Leetch recorded 102 points in 1991-92.
