The list of 2026 Norris Trophy finalists was announced on Thursday, May 7, and one absence drew a lot of attention. Edmonton Oilers star Evan Bouchard, a man who has divided opinion across the board, was conspicuously absent from the Norris Trophy shortlist, leading to raised eyebrows in the NHL community.
One former NHL D-man took offense at the fact that Bouchard didn’t even land in the top three.
Oilers Star Evan Bouchard Fails to Make 2026 Norris Trophy Shortlist
Former NHL blueliner Jason Demers, now an analyst with the NHL Network, has been a staunch advocate of Bouchard’s credentials all season long. And with good reason.
Bouchard finished the year with 95 points: 21 goals and 74 assists. The Oilers star featured in all 82 games and averaged 24 minutes and 41 seconds of ice time, a career high.
Despite leading all defenseman by a 14-point margin, Bouchard failed to make the final cut, drawing a strong reaction from Demers.
“Points have always mattered until this year when Bouchard leads all D-men in points by 14???? The hate for him is so obvious and it’s honestly a joke,” Demers wrote on X.
Points have always mattered until this year when Bouchard leads all dmen in points by 14????….. the hate for him is so obvious and it’s honestly a joke.
— jason demers (@jasondemers5) May 7, 2026
Bouchard is often seen as a forward in a defenseman’s body, a fact that has usually been held against him when it comes to making his case for the Norris Trophy. However, the Oilers blueliner played more minutes on the penalty kill this season than Zach Werenski, Cale Makar, and Rasmus Dahlin, the three finalists for the trophy.
He was a plus-25 through a topsy-turvy season in Edmonton and a critical part of a team that made the playoffs. By all accounts, Bouchard was the most productive defenseman on the ice this season if you view it through this lens.
Bouchard’s defensive value may have swung voters the wrong way, which is where Makar, Dahlin, and Werenski come in.
When all was said and done, Bouchard ended the year as the ninth D-man in NHL history to score more than 20 goals and rack up 95 points in a season.
This one’s for you, @ThePHWA 🙃💣 #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/Eujyr1ogcV
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) May 7, 2026
The Oilers also threw some shade at the Professional Hockey Writers Association, unveiling a compilation of Evan Bouchard’s pivotal plays from the season.
For what it’s worth, Werenski finished as the second-highest-scoring defenseman in the league, behind Bouchard, after registering 81 points (22 goals, 59 assists) in 75 games for the Columbus Blue Jackets. His points per game mark of 1.08 was, once again, only second to Bouchard’s 1.16 at the position.
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Makar, meanwhile, led a Colorado Avalanche blue line that had the best record in the league (55-16-11) and one that allowed the fewest goals in the NHL (197 excluding shootout goals).
For his part, Dahlin had 74 points (19 goals, 55 assists) in 77 games, good enough for sixth in the NHL among defensemen, though that tally was his career high.
