Evan Bouchard has become the 13th defenseman in NHL history to score 90 points in a single season. The 26-year-old’s almost cinematic season eludes no one.
Yet for many in the NHL community, the Oilers blueliner is just not good enough to be included in the ongoing Norris Trophy discourse. However, for the Edmonton Oilers, Bouchard is a true difference-maker.
Edmonton Oilers GM Stan Bowman Heaps Praise on “Superstar” Evan Bouchard
If one strictly looks at the scoreboard, in terms of points, Bouchard is the most obvious candidate for the Norris Trophy. With 91 points so far this season, he leads by a mile. When Cale Makar and Quinn Hughes received the honor in 2025 and 2024, respectively, they, too, were leading defensemen in points.
A common area of concern for many, however, remains Bouchard’s individual impact.
When decoupled from Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, the defenseman’s performance takes a visible dip. Makar, on the other hand, has only gotten better and proved himself more valuable even in the absence of Nathan MacKinnon.
Oilers GM Stan Bowman, however, believes the franchise has a “superstar” in Bouchard, who has shown a tremendous ability to improve.
“I think we do have a superstar in Evan Bouchard, and I think I have been fortunate to be able to watch him play up close these last two years. When I came in, I didn’t recognize how good he was. Obviously, he is improved as well from the beginning of last year till today,” Bowman reflected on how rewarding it has been to witness Bouchard over the two years he has been the Oilers GM.
Bowman also dispelled the longstanding qualms about him exclusively being an offensive force on the ice, emphasizing his all-around abilities. “Its not like he is just an offensive weapon that you can’t play and you got to be really careful when he is on the ice. He plays huge minutes for us. He plays against the top players, he kills penalties, he does everything.”
For Bowman, Bouchard is the kind of defenseman who could not be any better. The Oilers GM further praised the defenseman’s patience and bounce back, even in the face of adversity. “His patience, I think, is probably his best attribute. Whenever something doesn’t go well, it does not impact him at all.”
Going by Bowman’s assessment of Bouchard, the 26-year-old defenseman can be considered a worthy candidate for the Norris Trophy, which prioritizes a defenseman’s all-around ability. Not long ago, former NHL defenseman Chris Pronger also shared his belief that Bouchard should be considered one of the foremost candidates in the Norris Trophy race.
